Ukraine-Russia negotiations stall, separatists counterattack
(Baonghean.vn) - The symbolic handshake between the Russian President and the Ukrainian President cannot change the truth: on Wednesday, August 27, gunfire broke out again in Donetsk, the separatist base that the Ukrainian army has been trying to gain control of for many months.
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| Ukrainian soldiers near the village of Sakhanka |
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In the face of the sudden resurgence after weeks of being pushed back to the last rebel bases, Kiev announced that it expected "practical assistance" and a "vital decision" at the NATO summit taking place on September 4 in the UK. "We need help," Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said briefly on Wednesday, August 27. On the same day, the Ukrainian army also mentioned the Russian troops' incursion into Ukrainian territory.
A Ukrainian military spokesman said hundreds of "tanks and rocket launchers" were moving towards the southeastern city of Telmanov, 20km from the border with Russia. Several residents interviewed by AFP said they saw the convoy passing at high speed on Tuesday, but no one was sure they were Russian military vehicles. The Ukrainian military explained that the vehicles were "marked with a white triangle or circle" to hide their registration numbers. The reports prompted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to question Vladimir Putin in a phone call, asking for "clarification" of the incident. A US diplomatic spokesman said: "This suggests that a Russian-backed counter-offensive is likely being planned in Donetsk and Luhansk."
At the negotiating table, the exchange between the two presidents in the presence of European leaders ended without any significant progress. Russian President Vladimir Putin avoided mentioning the 10 Russian paratroopers captured on Ukrainian territory, instead he affirmed that the crisis in Ukraine must be resolved between Ukrainians. (Le monde August 28)
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