Published time: February 17, 2015 07:21
Edited time: February 17, 2015 19:16
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Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on a military vehicle near Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine February 16, 2015.(Reuters / Gleb Garanich)
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Trends Ukraine turmoil
Tags Conflict, Katie Pilbeam, Military, Murad Gazdiev, Politics, Security, Ukraine
Clashes continue around Debaltsevo, a city contested by Kiev’s forces and Ukrainian anti-government troops. Fighting goes on there even as ceasefire is mostly observed in other parts of the conflict zone.
The rebels insist that Debaltsevo has been encircled and that their opponents should lay down their arms and leave it immediately. Kiev claims that the city is its advance stronghold and must remain under its control under the Minsk agreement.
Reuters / Baz Ratner
The issue was one of the major bones of contention during last week’s marathon talks in the Belarusian capital and was not resolved there, with the parties agreeing to hold additional fact-finding probes to find a common ground.
The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, said the clashes in Debaltsevo are not a violation of the ceasefire agreed on in Minsk on February 12.
“It’s all in the framework of the Minsk agreements. We’re sticking to our positions. Debaltsevo is in our rear area. According to the Minsk agreements, all illegal armed groups on the territory of Donbass must be disbanded or disarmed. So, the disarmament of illegal armed groups is what we’re doing,” Zakharchenko told LifeNews website.
Meanwhile, Kiev said that it views the fighting near Debaltsevo – where thousands of Ukrainian troops remain trapped – as a violation of the Minsk agreements.
“The militants want to surround Debaltsevo and thus destroy all possibilities for further implementation of the Minsk agreements," Valery Chaly, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s administration said during a briefing on Tuesday.
Read More - http://rt.com/news/232983-ukraine-ceasefire-concrete-measures/
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