Non Russian Intervention
While Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has characterized the recent triumphalist election in Donetsk and Luhansk "a farce", and the European Union's new foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called the election "an obstacle on the path towards peace in Ukraine", leading President Poroshenko to state his country's conflict was with Russia and it appeared to be "escalating" in the wake of a column of 32 tanks, 30 trucks and 16 heavy artillery pieces entering the eastern region of Luhansk.
And even while Vladimir Putin, stone-faced and resolute, declares Moscow uninvolved in the situation in Ukraine, other than to give deserved moral support to ethnic Russian rebels, a NATO military officer informed Reuters that he had himself observed an increase in Russian troops and equipment along the Ukraine border. Under active investigation was a report of tanks entering the region.
The ceasefire signed in the Belarussian capital of Minsk on September 5 is nothing more, according to one Ukrainian commander than a "strategic pause", engineered to benefit the rebels, and so it would most certainly appear since that signing has meant little other than an ongoing conflict between the Ukrainian military and the rebels, resulting in thousands of deaths and no resolution in sight.
Now that tanks are once again entering Ukraine, said to be moving south toward Krasny Luch, it seems likely that the 'pause', such as it is, may be waning toward a full resumption of hostilities known realistically as fighting. Since fighting has been reported every day from Luhansk and Donetsk that will simply mean a full escalation taking Ukraine back to where it was before September.
A poll in the south-east of Ukraine where residents voted in favour of a pro-Russian leader for the 'Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic' has certainly not been held in high esteem with respect to truly reflecting the entire population's wishes. Russia's assurances that it 'respected' the election result and its declaration that the 'elected' leaders now have a 'mandate' to negotiate with Kyiv presupposes non-involvement.
A spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared the Russian statement as "incomprehensible", ruling out the lifting of sanctions since Crimea's annexation. Reported flow of new Russian heavy weapons has increased fears in Kyiv that the ceasefire would now be forfeit, enhancing fears that the separatists may use recent events as a platform to launch fresh attacks to open a corridor across the east enabling access and supplies to Crimea.
The heaviest shelling in a month has taken place in Donetsk, with European monitors in Ukraine declaring their concern on seeing convoys of heavy weapons and tanks lacking insignia, a favourite trick of Russia entering Ukraine, in separatist-controlled areas of Ukraine. Reuters journalists claim the shelling seemed more intense as strikes appeared to come from territory held both by government and rebel forces.
Labels: Civil War, Conflict, Intervention, Russia, Ukraine
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, November 09, 2014
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