ukraine civil war – European Affairs Magazine

Russian FM has stated the possibility of "new tragedies" in case U.S. supply lethal aid to Ukraine

1 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Russian Foreign Ministry has stated the possibility of “new tragedies” in case Washington moves to supply lethal aid to Ukraine. “The U.S. Congress demands that the deliveries of the so-called lethal aid [to Ukraine] start, therefore it is important that the White House and the State Department realize that this could result in new tragedies, and feel the responsibility” said Ryabkov. According to him, the Russian Foreign Ministry will contribute to Washington’s “adequate perception” of what is happening in Donbas.

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed at the SvitlodarskaDuha bulge in the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone in Donbas

1 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Two soldiers of the 54th separate mechanized brigade were killed at the SvitlodarskaDuha bulge in the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone in Donbas on Tuesday. (ATO) press officer Leonid Matiukhin said that Russia-backed militants shelled the Ukrainian positions near Butivka coal mine in Donbas. “A symbolic construction of the mine fell down – a place where the elevator is located. They opened fire from a tank and now this construction collapsed. There were no casualties among our troops. The flag is also undamaged. The guys said they would fly this flag in Donetsk one day”, he said.

Ukraine: how long before the next talks?

23 Giugno 2016 Politics di

EU extension of sanctions against Russia is only the last chapter of the Ukrainian crisis. As appeared in the latest months, the ceasefire between Kiev and sepatists looks like a band-aid.

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The EU ambassadors from the 28 member states approved on June 21 to prolong the sanctions against Moscow until 31 January 2017. Main justifications are two: annexation of Crimea and presence in Ukraine.

Despite it’s approved unanimously, a part of Western public opinion, but also Italy, Hungary and Greece do not shared this choice. Indeed, Russia is a strategic partner in Syria against Islamic State; but also from economical viewpoint, because of several European partnerships with Moscow.

Putin trip in China on June 22, come on the heels of European sanctions, demonstrated the will to find new economical and financial partners after more than two years of sanctions. As noted by Mark McNamee, Central and Eastern Europe analyst at Frontier Strategy Group at CNBC, “Strengthening energy ties with China and India would serve Putin’s geopolitical interests further, while also stealing market share from the Saudis. In economic terms, other than energy, Russia is unable to offer much of anything to China. Of far more importance is the political support Russia offers, regarding foreign policy matters at the United Nations, Group of 20 and other venues … China, naturally, is happy to have a useful ally as it seeks to reform the existing U.S.-led order to attain its geopolitical goals. ”

“It’s clear that for the changes to be made to the constitution, preliminary conditions must be met. Russian forces must be withdrawn from Ukraine,” Poroshenko told French television. While Moscow continues to turn down every charges.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Ukraine is falsely going on, as demonstrated by 3 Ukrainian soldiers killed on June 18 or by the dreadful video, reported by Daily Mail, which shows Ukrainian soldiers burying alive a sepatist. And the large number of tanks in Donbass means that civil war has not already finished.

So, after Minsk II, new talks are very necessary. Islamic issue and an updated fair-trade between EU and Russia are the two main questions for International Community.
Giacomo Pratali

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