Kremlin says Kiev's actions damage prospects for Ukraine summit: RIA

[jakeXT]

Source: Reuters, RIA

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday increased military activity by Ukrainian government forces had undermined hopes of arranging a four-way summit on the conflict in east Ukraine, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Western leaders say the efforts to bring together the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are being hampered by Moscow's failure to implement a ceasefire agreement reached more than four months ago.

"The renewal of hostilities on the part of the Ukrainian authorities, of course, seriously undermines the potential effectiveness of preparations for a meeting in the Normandy format," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA.

The Normandy format refers to meetings of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/kremlin-says-kievs-actions-damage-prospects-ukraine-summit-090244589.html

[DetlefK]

1. How about sending observers in there?

Russia goes in and out of Ukraine as it pleases and continues to support the rebels with russian soldiers. But it's Ukraine that's the problem.

Here's an idea:
Why not send observers in there to find out what's going on? Whether there are really russian soldiers on ukrainian soil? Whether there are really variants of russian tanks that Russia uses exclusively in its domestic army? Whether the russian convois deliver weapons?

[jakeXT]

3. The Germans sent their own soldiers once

http://www.moonofalabama.org/2014/04/ukraine-media-obfuscate-about-osce-observers.html

[bemildred]

2. They just can't make up their minds, they want to, but they can't.

I would hazard a guess that this goes on like this until March or so. I figured they would start up the war again in January, and here we are.

Cease fire == repair, refit, and regroup, and then attack some more.

Fewer aircraft, and more heavy weapons, this time, it seems. Tanks and heavy artillery. It would probably pay someone to look into where that stuff came from.

And it gets hard to tell who started it because they both want to fight and never really stop.

[jakeXT]

4. Funded by Congress

6. Three hundred and fifty million dollars for military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-tank, anti-armor, optical, and guidance and control equipment, as well as drones.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/three_congressmen_just_reignited_the_cold_war_while_no_one_was_looking_2014

[bemildred]

5. That's all "defensive" stuff.

Although those "anti-tank" weapons can be very multipurpose. I meant the big guns and tanks. Much was made of the tanks, and you can see what heavy artillery does to things. There were some Stalingrad-ish stories coming out of that airport too. Sniper hunts in rat warrens. Peachy.

The Congress is a pack of rabid dogs.

The rebels seem to have been ready to go too, and gave a good account of themselves from what I can tell. You can make an excellent case that they ramped it up first. They have generally been aggressive on what they regard as their own soil.

I haven't checked the news yet.

[jakeXT]

7. Last year there was some speculation around private companies

buying from countries and selling them to Ukraine.




The first is a puzzling sale of 58 T-72 tanks to the Czech Republic by Hungary. Since the signing of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty in 1990, the purchase, transfer, and stationing of European arms and troops has been tightly regulated. So a sale between two signatories (such as the Czech Republic and Hungary) is closely monitored. And something caught the eye of defense industry observers in this transaction. While the Czechs were buying the vehicles, it didn't appear that they would actually be using them.

It's not yet possible to tell where these tanks will be going, but the current speculation is that they're destined for the Ukrainian army. This makes sense, because Ukraine is desperate for new equipment that is completely compatible with the Soviet-style stuff already in their inventory; the army doesn't want to screw around with new training or parts in the middle of a war.

But Hungary borders Ukraine directly, so why not just drive them into Ukraine? Well, the Hungarian entity selling the tanks is their Ministry of Defense. The Czech buyer, however, is a private company. So as long as the Czechs keep in compliance with relevant treaty obligations and the like, the sale is legal, and the Hungarian government can be completely honest when they say they're not providing arms to the Ukrainian military.

https://news.vice.com/article/nato-isnt-arming-ukraine-just-like-russia-isnt-fighting-there

[bemildred]

8. Yeah. That stuff. And Putin takes care of the rebels too.

There is a lot of that going on.

And money squabbles.

So it's a proxy war now. Can go on more or less indefinitely. Good job.

[jakeXT]

9. Good luck Europe

Hollande eyes end to Russia sanctions, rules out solo action in Libya

Latest update : 2015-01-05
French President François Hollande discussed the options for lifting sanctions on Russia, ruled out unilateral military action in Libya and addressed Greece’s looming snap election in a wide-ranging interview Monday on France Inter radio.

The unprecedented two-hour interview with France Inter radio was aimed at championing a string of economic reforms and reversing Hollande’s record-low approval ratings. It also gave the French president a chance to state his views on a range of foreign policy issues. FRANCE 24 looks at the key international topics he addressed.

‘Putin does not want to annex eastern Ukraine – he told me that’

The French president said biting Western sanctions against Russia should be lifted if progress were made in resolving the Ukraine crisis. "I think the sanctions must stop now. They must be lifted if there is progress. If there is no progress the sanctions will remain," he said. The sanctions began in March after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea and have since been stepped up amid claims Russia is stoking separatist conflict in the country’s east. "Mr Putin does not want to annex eastern Ukraine. He has told me that," said Hollande. "What he wants is to remain influential. What he wants is for Ukraine not to fall into the NATO camp," the French leader added. Hollande struck an optimistic note ahead of January 15 talks in Kazakhstan, where Ukraine's Western-backed leader Petro Poroshenko is to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin. The leaders of France and Germany are also expected to attend the meeting in Astana. "I will go to Astana on January 15 on one condition, which is that there should be a possibility of making new progress. If it's just to meet and talk without making any actual advances then there's no point. But I think there will be progress," he said. The crisis in Ukraine has prevented France from completing the delivery of two "Mistral-class" warships to Russia. Paris has pushed back the delivery of the €1.2 billion vessels "until further notice", and could be liable for a hefty fine if it breaches the contract.

No solo intervention in Libya

http://www.france24.com/en/20150105-france-hollande-russia-sanctions-putin-ukraine-libya-intervention-greece-syriza/

[bemildred]

10. Pusilanimous weasels. Dither, dither, dither.

And that was before Charlie Hebdo.

That was when the war started again, when that Kazah meeting fell apart. They didn't even spend much time explaining, just "nothing to talk about, sorry."

[7962]

6. Good. Give them what they need to fight the russian invasion. The EU is scared.

Russia controls their gas; they're afraid it will be turned off.

[Nihil]

11. "The EU is scared." vs "The US just want another war for the profits of their corporate owners"

Face it, you all did so well in arming the opposition to Russia in Afghanistan, arming the opposition
in Iraq, arming the opposition in Syria, ... all of them just keeping an "enemy" that will inevitably
bite you back and "justify" more wars in the future.

One people, under the dominion of Wall Street.

[7962]

12. Whatever. Russia will reform the Soviet Union if no one stands up to them

As for Syria, let the extremists kill each other. Takes the focus off of the West

[uhnope]

13. Because Putin just wants peace...LOL

[Blue_Tires]

14. Kremlin translation: "We're mad that Ukraine is making us fight for Dontesk...

instead of just letting us move in without resistance..."