Turn up the pressure on Kyiv, Russia urges the West
Sergey Lavrov calls for push to build ‘lasting ceasefire’
RUSSIA urged Western powers today to put pressure on Kyiv to build “a lasting ceasefire” after seven people — including a five-year-old — were killed by Ukrainian army shelling in Kondrashovska near Lugansk.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his “Western colleagues” had to play “the key role” in forcing the new Ukrainian regime to negotiate with separatist rebels in the east.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced the end of a previous 10-day ceasefire on Monday.
But Mr Lavrov noted that the “unilateral” cessation of hostilities had failed because it merely ordered rebels to lay down their arms without opening up a dialogue on their demands.
EU leaders continue to insist that Russia should use its influence with resistance groups — which are strongest in Russian-speaking parts of Ukraine — to get them to offer talks.
French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday urging a ceasefire “within 48 hours,” though the extent of Mr Putin’s influence has been unclear since he refused separatist requests to join Russia.
Mr Poroshenko seemed in bullish mood yesterday, replacing both the defence minister and military chief of staff to build “an army which is capable of fighting and winning.”
“Today the revival of the army is starting from scratch,” he declared after lamenting the “complete collapse” of government efforts to keep troops supplied, fed and equipped.
Valery Heletey takes over the Defence Ministry, becoming the third new defence minister since February’s right-wing coup, while Lieutenant General Viktor Muzhenko is the new chief of staff.
Mr Heletey hinted that the war could be taken to Russia in Crimea, saying a “victory parade will be held in Ukrainian Sevastopol.”
The armed assault on eastern separatists, which has claimed over 400 lives, has proven chaotic, with regular troops backed up by barely controlled neonazi paramilitaries.
Even yesterday’s lethal bombardment of Kondrashovska, which had not previously been involved in any fighting, might have been a “pilot error,” Ukrainian officers admitted.
The uprising in eastern Ukraine began after a fascist-backed putsch replaced the elected Viktor Yanukovych government and declared war on regions which refused to recognise the new authorities.