Germany Sees ‘Last Chance’ for Peace as Putin Blames Ukraine
By Daryna Krasnolutska, Mark Raczkiewycz and Rainer Buergin Jan 23, 2015 8:24 AM ET
Germany warned that time is running out to halt spiraling violence in eastern Ukraine as it called on Russia and the government in Kiev to stand by pledges to bring the crisis to an end.
Ukraine and Russia must seize “what may be the last chance for a peaceful solution” by fulfilling commitments to secure a cease-fire and withdraw heavy weaponry, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in an e-mailed statement late Thursday. They must “do everything to ensure the spiral of violence and counter-violence is stopped,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukrainian forces of starting “large-scale” military operations against the rebels in comments broadcast on state television. Defense Ministry officials in Ukraine reported more than 100 attacks by pro-Russian separatists in the past 24 hours
While the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France reported “tangible progress” in Berlin talks Wednesday, fighting continues between government troops and separatists. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned in a Bloomberg Television interview of a “grave danger” of escalation in the 10-month conflict that has claimed more than 5,000 lives, according to the United Nations.
Heavy Weapons
Ukraine and its allies in the U.S. and the European Union blame Russia for arming and aiding the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while Russia accuses the government in Kiev of a military onslaught against its own citizens. The conflict has sent Russia-U.S. ties to their worst since the Cold War.
Ukrainian forces are shelling densely populated areas indiscriminately, causing dozens of civilian casualties, Putin told a meeting of the Security Council Friday, according to a Kremlin transcript. Russia received no clear answer to its proposal for heavy weapons to be pulled out of eastern Ukraine, he said.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-23/germany-warns-of-last-chance-for-ukraine-peace-amid-fighting.html
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