What's new

Breaking news Ukraine crisis: Putin announces ceasefire deal at Minsk talks

Dr. Strangelove

SENIOR MEMBER
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
5,208
Reaction score
14
Country
Pakistan
Location
Pakistan
Ukraine crisis: Putin announces ceasefire deal at Minsk talks
Russian president says artillery will be withdrawn from midnight on Saturday after marathon negotiations involving Russia, France and Germany



Ukraininan President Petro Poroshenko is followed by Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the talks in Minsk. Photograph: Grigory Dukor/Reuters
Matthew Weaver and agencies

Thursday 12 February 2015 08.58 GMT

Shares
418
Comments
655

Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has confirmed that a ceasefire agreement has been reached after 15 hours of talks on the Ukrainian conflict.

Speaking at a press conference in Minsk, Putin said the ceasefire would come into force on Sunday. He also urged Ukraine to introduce constitutional reform to respect the rights of Russians in eastern Ukraine.

The French president, François Hollande, confirmed that a ceasefire had been agreed.

Earlier, Ukraine played down speculation about a possible ceasefire agreement accusing Russia of imposing “unacceptable” conditions.





There were reports overnight of a possible deal from the talks in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. One source said there was hope agreement could be reached and another said a document would be signed, according to news agencies.



The Minsk talks went on for more than 15 hours over Wednesday nightas European leaders tried to broker a deal to end fighting.

At one point Putin signalled his apparent frustration at the lack of progress by snapping a pen or a pencil.

Reuters said it had seen a document discussing a ceasefire starting on 14 February, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the creation of a security zone and the return of full control of the border with Russia to Ukraine by the end of 2015, as well as the withdrawal of foreign arms and troops. But it was unclear whether the document represented a final agreement, a draft or a discussion paper, the news agency said.

More than 5,300 people have died since April in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in two eastern provinces and the bloodshed rose sharply in recent weeks.

The US president, Barack Obama, faces rising calls at home to send military aid to Ukraine, but European leaders fear it would only aggravate the fight. Russia, meanwhile, faces a severe economic downturn driven in part by sanctions the west has imposed for supporting the separatists with troops and equipment, which Moscow vehemently denies it is doing.

In a diplomatic blitz that began last week, Merkel and Hollande visited Kiev and Moscow to speak to Poroshenko and Putin, paving the way for the marathon session in Minsk.

“The entire world is waiting to see whether the situation moves toward de-escalation, weapons pullback, ceasefire, or ... spins out of control,” Poroshenko said upon arriving.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, signalled some progress, saying late on Wednesday that the talks were “active, better than super”.

A top rebel official, Andrei Purgin, told Russian television that it might take a day or more for hostilities to end even if a ceasefire was called.

On Wednesday the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said “quite a number of problems remain” in negotiations including the future of eastern Ukraine, guarantees about the Ukraine-Russia border and the prospects of a possible ceasefire, weapons pullback and prisoner exchange.

Fabius said the aim of the talks was to win an accord that works on the ground, “not just one on paper.”

Germany and France rushed to mediate after a recent surge in fighting that continued on Wednesday. In the rebel-held city of Donetsk rebel officials said five people were killed and nine wounded in a shelling attack on a bus station; An Associated Press reporter saw one body. Officials in Kiev said 19 troops were also killed and 78 wounded in fighting in Debaltseve, a hotly contested transport hub in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine crisis: Putin announces ceasefire deal at Minsk talks | World news | The Guardian
 
I think that is the second or third ceasefire agreed so far. Wow, how quick and eager the Europeans have responded to diffuse the Ukraine crisis. I guess no appetite for military engagement with Russia. Good choice.
 
Ukraine crisis: Putin announces ceasefire deal at Minsk talks
Russian president says artillery will be withdrawn from midnight on Saturday after marathon negotiations involving Russia, France and Germany



Ukraininan President Petro Poroshenko is followed by Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the talks in Minsk. Photograph: Grigory Dukor/Reuters
Matthew Weaver and agencies

Thursday 12 February 2015 08.58 GMT


Shares
418
Comments

655
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has confirmed that a ceasefire agreement has been reached after 15 hours of talks on the Ukrainian conflict.

Speaking at a press conference in Minsk, Putin said the ceasefire would come into force on Sunday. He also urged Ukraine to introduce constitutional reform to respect the rights of Russians in eastern Ukraine.

The French president, François Hollande, confirmed that a ceasefire had been agreed.

Earlier, Ukraine played down speculation about a possible ceasefire agreement accusing Russia of imposing “unacceptable” conditions.





There were reports overnight of a possible deal from the talks in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. One source said there was hope agreement could be reached and another said a document would be signed, according to news agencies.



The Minsk talks went on for more than 15 hours over Wednesday nightas European leaders tried to broker a deal to end fighting.

At one point Putin signalled his apparent frustration at the lack of progress by snapping a pen or a pencil.

Reuters said it had seen a document discussing a ceasefire starting on 14 February, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the creation of a security zone and the return of full control of the border with Russia to Ukraine by the end of 2015, as well as the withdrawal of foreign arms and troops. But it was unclear whether the document represented a final agreement, a draft or a discussion paper, the news agency said.

More than 5,300 people have died since April in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in two eastern provinces and the bloodshed rose sharply in recent weeks.

The US president, Barack Obama, faces rising calls at home to send military aid to Ukraine, but European leaders fear it would only aggravate the fight. Russia, meanwhile, faces a severe economic downturn driven in part by sanctions the west has imposed for supporting the separatists with troops and equipment, which Moscow vehemently denies it is doing.

In a diplomatic blitz that began last week, Merkel and Hollande visited Kiev and Moscow to speak to Poroshenko and Putin, paving the way for the marathon session in Minsk.

“The entire world is waiting to see whether the situation moves toward de-escalation, weapons pullback, ceasefire, or ... spins out of control,” Poroshenko said upon arriving.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, signalled some progress, saying late on Wednesday that the talks were “active, better than super”.

A top rebel official, Andrei Purgin, told Russian television that it might take a day or more for hostilities to end even if a ceasefire was called.

On Wednesday the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said “quite a number of problems remain” in negotiations including the future of eastern Ukraine, guarantees about the Ukraine-Russia border and the prospects of a possible ceasefire, weapons pullback and prisoner exchange.

Fabius said the aim of the talks was to win an accord that works on the ground, “not just one on paper.”

Germany and France rushed to mediate after a recent surge in fighting that continued on Wednesday. In the rebel-held city of Donetsk rebel officials said five people were killed and nine wounded in a shelling attack on a bus station; An Associated Press reporter saw one body. Officials in Kiev said 19 troops were also killed and 78 wounded in fighting in Debaltseve, a hotly contested transport hub in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine crisis: Putin announces ceasefire deal at Minsk talks | World news | The Guardian

Great news :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
 
Good. Whold world is tired of this Ukrainian Crisis sh*t.:p:
To the Peace Guys :cheers:
 
Ukraine ceasefire deal agreed at Minsk talks

The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany have reached a ceasefire deal after 17 hours of talks in Minsk, Belarus, on the Ukrainian conflict.

The ceasefire will come into force on Sunday as part of a deal that also involves the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line.

Russian president Vladimir Putin was the first to announce the deal, saying: “We have agreed on a ceasefire from midnight 15 February.”

Putin added: “There is also the political settlement. The first thing is constitutional reform that should take into consideration the legitimate rights of people who live in Donbass. There are also border issues. Finally there are a whole range of economic and humanitarian issues.”

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who helped to broker the deal alongside the French president, François Hollande, said “we now have a glimmer of hope”, but added that the leaders were under no illusions and that “there is very, very much work still to do”.

Merkel also confirmed that Putin put pressure on the separatists to agree a truce.

Hollande said the deal covered all the contentious issues, including border control, decentralisation, and the resumption of economic relations, but also warned that much more needed to be done to resolve the crisis.

Hollande and Merkel will ask the European Union to support the agreement later on Thursday.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini sounded a note of caution, saying the Minsk agreement was important but not definitive. She added that she did not expect EU leaders to discuss sanctions against Russia at their summit on Thursday after the deal.

The main points of the agreement are:

  • Ceasefire to begin at midnight on 15 February
  • Heavy weapons withdrawn in a two week period starting from 17 February
  • Amnesty for prisoners involved in fighting
  • Withdrawal of all foreign militias from Ukrainian territory and the disarmament of all illegal groups
  • Lifting of restrictions in rebel areas of Ukraine
  • Decentralisation for rebel regions by the end of 2015
  • Ukrainian control of the border with Russia by the end of 2015

The participants also agreed to attend regular meetings to ensure the fulfilment of the agreements, a Russian-distributed document said.

Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, said: “The main thing which has been achieved is that from Saturday into Sunday there should be declared without any conditions at all a general ceasefire.”

Speaking after the talks, Donetsk rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko called the treaty a “major victory for the Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics”. Luhansk leader Igor Plotnitsky said they would “give Ukraine a chance, so that the country changes its constitution and its attitude”.

But despite the celebratory words, the fledgling peace process remained very fragile. Zakharchenko warned that all “responsibility will be on Petro Poroshenko”, and that the peace process would fall through if Kiev violated the new agreements, Russian news agency Interfax reported.

“All the points require additional approval, and for this reason there will be no meetings and new agreements if any violations take place,” Zakharchenko said.

Residents of Donetsk, where civilians have continued to be killed by shelling this week, greeted the news of the peace agreement with cautious optimism. A small group of people rallied outside the rebel government’s headquarters in the Donetsk regional administration building, and a woman on stage declared that “today is a holiday.”

More hardcore supporters of the rebels were disappointed with the new agreement. The popular Russian nationalist publication Sputnik i Pogrom called the Minsk treaty a “betrayal of all that the rebels fought for, including some of our readers” and derided the “clownish half-autonomous status” offered to the breakaway republics.

Earlier, Ukraine had played down speculation about a possible ceasefire agreement, accusing Russia of imposing “unacceptable” conditions.

At one point during the negotiations Putin signalled his apparent frustration at the lack of progress by snapping a pen or a pencil.

More than 5,300 people have died since April in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in two eastern provinces, and the bloodshed rose sharply in recent weeks.

Although the Minsk agreement represents a breakthrough in a long-frustrated peace process, several key points will be difficult and time-consuming to achieve.

It remained unclear what actions were to be taken in Debaltseve, the current major point of contention between the warring sides in eastern Ukraine. Pro-Russian fighters have been trying to take the town and its railroad junction from Ukrainian forces in weeks of heavy fighting, with violence escalating in the buildup to the peace talks.

The rebels have said they have Debaltseve surrounded, while the Ukrainian military has repeatedly denied this. But a volunteer battalion commander said on Thursday morning that Kiev’s forces were storming Lohvynove, a town located along the only highway leading out of Debaltseve to Ukrainian positions, suggesting that the troops really were surrounded.

Speaking to Russian channel RT, Putin said he had ordered “military experts” to look into how to solve the situation in Debaltseve peacefully. The Minsk agreement stipulates that the rebel republics withdraw their forces from the demarcation line laid down in the September ceasefire, and that Kiev withdraws its forces from the current de facto frontline.

ukraine_battle_ceasefire.svg


“If it really is surrounded, then according to the normal logic of things, those who are surrounded will make attempts to break out, and those who are outside will make attempts to organise a corridor for the surrounded troops to leave,” Putin said.

“Look what the Russians are now bargaining for,” tweeted Ukrainian foreign ministry representative Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday, with a link to rebel claims that they had Debaltseve surrounded. “Without Debaltseve, the [Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics] are in a transportation bind.”

Another particularly difficult point to implement will be re-establishing Kiev’s control of the border, through which Russian volunteers, arms and allegedly troops have been coming to the rebels’ aid. Many of the border crossings with Russia are under rebel control, and the boundary between the two countries is notoriously porous anyway. Poroshenko said Kiev will only restore full control of the border by the end of 2015.

The US president, Barack Obama, has faced rising calls at home to send military aid to Ukraine, but European leaders fear it would only aggravate the violence. Russia, meanwhile, faces a severe economic downturn driven in part by sanctions the west has imposed for supporting the separatists with troops and equipment, which Moscow vehemently denies it is doing.

The urgency felt by all sides appeared to be underlined by the extraordinary length and discomfort of the talks between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany. They sat down with each other Wednesday evening in the Belarusian capital and the talks continued as sunrise neared on Thursday.

In a diplomatic blitz that began last week, Merkel and Hollande visited Kiev and Moscow to speak to Poroshenko and Putin, paving the way for the marathon session in Minsk.

Ukraine ceasefire deal agreed at Minsk talks | World news | The Guardian
 
Last edited:
very typical russian action and reaction.

They act strong, act tough and appear to be not back down, then slide in the spot light at the exact spot of moment and appear to be a hero.

I dont admire or praise the Russian , but they did play a good game , no wonder they are good at chess.

But do you know who is the biggest loser if this deal is the real mccoy? The rebel, now th at Russian unilaterally withdrew heavy weapon and worse of all, agree to revert the Ukraine -Russian border instead of the independent the Russian probably promised the rebel to? Man ,those rebel will not be one happy camper.

Whats more, if the rebel decide to fight on, Russian can play the hero and save the day one more time, well, they have sortof denialibility
 
I do not think that the truce will be stable. While the occupants of Junta do not leave the area of New Russia, the war will not end.
Even last time just when the militia were on the cusp of taking Mariupol, there was suddenly a crisis meeting in Minsk.

This time if the cease fire does not hold I think the US might supply Kiev with lethal aid and weapons/training and may even deploy state department contracted PMC mercenaries in front line offensive ops (I understand they are already there but so far just for training purposes)
 
Even last time just when the militia were on the cusp of taking Mariupol, there was suddenly a crisis meeting in Minsk.

This time if the cease fire does not hold I think the US might supply Kiev with lethal aid and weapons/training and may even deploy state department contracted PMC mercenaries in front line offensive ops (I understand they are already there but so far just for training purposes)
I do not think the fighters for the independence of New Russia are afraid of the Americans or American weapon. It did not help Georgia or Iraq or anyone.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom