Ukraine Peace Negotations End in Stalemate, Clashes Ongoing
Top officials involved in the Ukrainian conflict traveled to Minsk, Belarus on Saturday proposing a number of concrete steps toward deescalating the armed conflict in the country, which began in April 2014. However, a truce agreement between the eastern Ukranian rebels and Kyiv ended without a deal.
Despite attempts to reach a peace settlement, fighting continued in Ukraine’s eastern regions. The confrontation intensified in the first few weeks of 2015, with dozens of civilians killed.
Eastern Ukraine rebels are in conflict with Western-backed Kyiv forces. (Photo: AFP)
Due to the recent surge in violence, the Russian government has deployed a convoy delivering humanitarian aid to conflict-gripped city of Luhansk.
We’re appealing for $32.4m to scale up our response in eastern #Ukraine http://t.co/17FkFpPhAU pic.twitter.com/mC5mIZdPia
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) January 31, 2015
“Over 80 vehicles that delivered humanitarian cargoes to Luhansk have been unloaded,” the ministry’s press service told TASS on Saturday. “At the moment they have started moving towards the Rostov region and are on their way to the border.”
It’s the duty of every citizen in the US, EU with a conscience – write to your government, tell them to stop supporting genocide in Ukraine.
— Graham Phillips (@GrahamWP_UK) January 31, 2015
This is awful. This war must end. RT Lining Up to Receive Aid in Ukraine, Crowd Is Devastated by a Mortar Attack http://t.co/rkA2AUJvyf
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) January 31, 2015
Meanwhile, U.S. military aid to Ukraine this year will be US$120 million, including US$75 million that will be allocated towards training Ukrainian military soldiers, US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt has stated.
The official noted that last year U.S. military assistance to Ukraine amounted to US$118 million.
Despite overwhelming military assistance to the Ukraine, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Saturday that the crisis in the east of Ukraine cannot be resolved by force.
“With regard to the provision of military assistance to Ukraine, the president [Barack Obama] does not want to do this for the reason that the problem cannot be used by military means. This conflict must be resolved by diplomatic means,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Ukraine Feb. 5 due to the recent escalation in violence.
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