Ukrainian forces attack separatists in east as cease-fire ends
President Petro Poroshenko defended his decision to resume military action, saying it was crucial to defend Ukraine's territorial integrity after a 10-day cease-fire failed to quell violence.
President Petro Poroshenko defended his decision to resume military action, saying it was crucial to defend Ukraine's territorial integrity after a 10-day cease-fire failed to quell violence.
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Ukrainian government forces attacked pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine Tuesday, shortly after President Petro Poroshenko ended a 10-day cease-fire that failed to calm violence in the restive region.
The resumption of what the government calls an antiterrorism operation will intensify fighting in the east. It also raises uncertainty over how Moscow 颅颅鈥� which officially supported the cease-fire, while also massing troops along the Ukrainian border 鈥� will respond. Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to make a foreign policy speech later Tuesday.
鈥淎 unique chance for a peace plan failed because of the criminal acts of militants,鈥� Mr. Poroshenko said on a statement on his website today, Bloomberg reports. 鈥淲e will attack and we will free our land. The protection of Ukraine鈥檚 territorial integrity and the safety of its people require not only defense, but also attack.鈥�
Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkovsky told Interfax news agency that the 鈥淎TO (Anti-Terrorist Operation)鈥� was launched after the president鈥檚 speech announcing the end of the cease-fire.
鈥淲e opened artillery fire, carried out air strikes at the strategic points of the terrorists and places where they are concentrated,鈥� Mr. Dmytrashkovsky said, according to Reuters.
The resumption of a military campaign comes after two telephone conferences in the past two days between Poroshenko, Mr. Putin, and the leaders of France and Germany that "raised hopes the truce would be renewed," the BBC notes. ' "But Mr Poroshenko said in his address: 'The decision not ton continue the ceasefire is our answer to terrorists, militants and marauders.' "
Poroshenko was also under pressure from protesters at home in Kiev, who urged the president to resume a military operation against separatists in the east.
The Russian foreign ministry today said it regretted the decision to end the cease-fire, and 鈥渃ondemned what it called 鈥榗riminal鈥� calls to crack down on the separatists,鈥� BBC reports.
European Union officials are scheduled to meet later Tuesday in Brussels to weigh new sanctions on Russia, which Western leaders accuse of directing, or at least fostering support, for rebel separatists in Ukraine.
The head of the German parliament鈥檚 committee on foreign affairs, Norbert Roettgen, told German radio Deutschlandfunk that the EU should extend sanctions against Russia today.
鈥淭he European Union must and will stand by its word, otherwise it will lose credibility and no longer be able to do anything toward de-escalation and stability,鈥� Mr. Roettgen said, according to Bloomberg.
Sara Miller Llana, 海角大神鈥檚 Paris bureau chief pointed out recently that, even with the signing of a trade pact between the European Union and Ukraine last Friday,聽 鈥渋t鈥檚 still unclear how far Europe 鈥� and more specifically Ms. Merkel鈥檚 Germany 鈥� is willing to back Ukraine鈥檚 long-term Western shift.鈥�
Russia has warned that the trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU 鈥� which provided the original spark for the Ukraine crisis after former President Viktor Yanukovych rejected it last year 鈥� could lead to 鈥渟erious consequences,鈥� the Monitor reports:
Another factor for Ukraine to consider is how the military will fund and replace equipment that separatists have damaged. Rebels have brought down costly Ukrainian helicopters and planes with Russian-made surface-to-air rockets, The Wall Street Journal reports.