generalspeaking

Conflict and Sanctions

"The package is due to be formally implemented [new sanctions on Russia] by the member states through a written procedure later today [Monday, 8 September]."
Pia Ahrenilde-Hansen, European Union spokeswoman

Deciding to press on with implementing new sanctions on Russia irrespective of the ceasefire in Ukraine, shaky as it is, the new economic sanctions include oil company Rosneft and units of gas producer Gazprom. At the same time Moscow announced earlier that it planned to cut back on gas exports to the European Union. It seems that they are in total agreement, from their angled perspectives.

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev announced Moscow's intention to respond to those new sanctions, possibly including closing down Russia's airspace to international flights should the U.S. and European Union continue with "the temptation to use force in international relations." As though it is not Russia playing hardball, but Ukraine and its defenders. Predictable, however.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visited Mariupol where the latest outbreaks of violence had taken place both before the ceasefire and through violations, after it was agreed upon. Government forces claimed last Saturday night to have come under rebel artillery attack. Ukraine's military press centre registered five rebel violations of the ceasefire accord up to 8 September. In return the ethnic Russian separatists claimed government forces were prepared to storm a town near Donetsk.




Ukraine is not prepared at any time to surrender its industrial heartland. Nor is it prepared to surrender to Vladimir Putin's annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Even from a position of relative weakness, President Poroshenko insists Crimea must be returned to Ukraine. On Sunday, the east Ukraine city of Luhansk, a virtual ghost town with a significant proportion of its residents having left, saw those residents who remained emerging, relieved at the reprieve in the conflict.

In Donetsk, fighting resumed around the airport, held by the government, with neighbourhoods caught in the crossfire. Journalists were informed by Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council spokesman Volodymyr Polyovyi that government forces had succeeded in repelling an attack by about 200 fighters, on the airport. One would think so: how formidable a fighting force does 200 fighters represent against government forces; are they demoralized to that extent?

Violation claims have emanated from both sides in the conflict Even so both sides have been busy, regrouping, rearming, in preparation for a resumption of the fighting, neither placing much hope in the continuation of the ceasefire into an agreement to stand back and bargain for a firm and lasting peace. The rebels because they don't want to surrender to Ukraine, leaving their hopes for secession behind; the government because it wants to retake its territory completely.

Meanwhile, in Crimea, residents have voted for regional parliamentary elections in which President Putin's backers remain the dominant force. Ukrainian Defence Minister Valeriy Heletey informed that NATO delivery of weapons from member countries was "underway", while another senior official announced the arms deal even while four of the five NATO countries mentioned denied any such claims.

Back in Luhansk where basic infrastructure damage has deprived most of the city of running water and power, and where burned-out buildings and road craters testify to an often indiscriminate shelling campaign, residents were led in prayer by priests  commemorating those killed during the siege mounted by government forces.


Local separatist leader Igor Plotnitsky in mourning those who had been killed called for forgiveness for those responsible in an unusual conciliatory public statement. Question is, was he admitting that it was the separatists who were responsible for the conflict leading to those deaths, or generously asking the Luhansk citizens to forgive the regime's military for its response-bombing campaign to retake Luhansk?

"In Crimea, everybody wanted to leave Ukraine and rejoin Russia. Many people come to us and ask: 'When will the war end?' Our answer is always the same."
"As soon as you get ... off the couch, stop swilling beer and go fight instead."
'Maestro', pro-Separatist fighter

Labels: Aggression, Conflict, EU, Russia, Sanctions, Secession, Ukraine, US

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, September 16, 2014