Monday, June 16, 2014

Can Russia Broker A Cease Fire In Ukraine?



Russia Urged to Broker Cease Fire After Separatists Down Ukraine Plane -- Wall Street Journal

Incident Comes Amid New Evidence of Russian Military Aid to Separatist Rebels in East Ukraine

DNIPROPETROVSK, Ukraine—European leaders pressed Moscow to help implement a cease-fire between pro-Russia militants and Ukrainian forces after the downing of a military plane this weekend raised pressure to stop the growing bloodshed in Ukraine's east.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged his Russian counterpart in a phone call Sunday to help broker a cease-fire a day after French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to do the same.

The round of diplomatic discussions followed news that Russian-backed militants shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane on Saturday, killing all 40 service members and nine crew on board—the deadliest episode in months of unrest in eastern Ukraine.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have lost count on how many times I have mentioned in this blog that the pro-Russian separatists may listen to Moscow .... but when it comes to decisions on the ground, they will do what they feel is best for themselves .... not what Moscow thinks. This is a conflict between Ukrainians and Russian-Ukrainians .... and while outsiders may have some influence, in the end it is these people who will have to decide to either work together and/or to separate. At this moment in time .... talk on working together is nowhere to be found in Ukraine.

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