02-11-2015, 03:27 PM
I've been following the developments for almost a year and had hoped the conflict in eastern Ukraine would be de-escalating by now. Not so.
While the sanctions from the US and EU have reportedly had a significant impact on the Russian economy, Putin has apparently not backed off in supporting Russian-separatists in the eastern Ukraine. Almost immediately after the negotiated peace agreement and cease-fire was signed back in September, it was broken.
In the last few weeks, fighting has ramped up, casualties have increased, an airport has been destroyed, civilians are being evacuated from expanding war zones, etc... It's getting worse, not better, over there.
While US President Obama has suggested aiding the Ukraine with defensive military means, German Chancellor Merkel publicly rejected taking that route at this time.
Today, world leaders are meeting with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian PM Poroschenko in another attempt to negotiate an end to the conflict.
![[Image: 12minsk-web-articleLarge.jpg]](http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/02/12/world/12minsk-web/12minsk-web-articleLarge.jpg)
Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President François Hollande of France and President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine on Wednesday for talks in Minsk.
I hope they make some real lasting progress.
Good piece: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/world/...v=top-news
While the sanctions from the US and EU have reportedly had a significant impact on the Russian economy, Putin has apparently not backed off in supporting Russian-separatists in the eastern Ukraine. Almost immediately after the negotiated peace agreement and cease-fire was signed back in September, it was broken.
In the last few weeks, fighting has ramped up, casualties have increased, an airport has been destroyed, civilians are being evacuated from expanding war zones, etc... It's getting worse, not better, over there.
While US President Obama has suggested aiding the Ukraine with defensive military means, German Chancellor Merkel publicly rejected taking that route at this time.
Today, world leaders are meeting with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian PM Poroschenko in another attempt to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President François Hollande of France and President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine on Wednesday for talks in Minsk.
I hope they make some real lasting progress.
Good piece: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/world/...v=top-news