Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels sign ceasefire deal

[Lite Beer]

Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels sign ceasefire deal

Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels in the east have signed a truce deal to end almost five months of fighting.

The two sides agreed to stop firing by 15:00 GMT and the truce appeared to be holding. But the rebels said the truce had not changed their policy of advocating splitting from Ukraine.

Meanwhile EU ambassadors have expanded a list of Russian and pro-Russian individuals targeted by sanctions.

More than 2,600 people have died since rebels stormed several eastern cities.

The takeover - which followed the annexation by Russia of the southern Crimea peninsula in March - prompted a military operation by Ukrainian forces to retake the cities.

The rebels, who had largely been pushed back towards their strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk, made new advances in recent days.

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29082574

-- BBC 2014-09-06

[h90]

ceasefire will make many people in the EU and USA upset.

[Scott]

ceasefire will make many people in the EU and USA upset.

My guess is that it will make a lot of posters on Thaivisa upset, so just a word of caution. Trolling and inflammatory posts will result in suspensions.

[ABCer]

ceasefire will make many people in the EU and USA upset.

Not in the least!... A piece of paper is just what it is. All sides including EU, USA, Putin, Poroshenko, West Ukraine, East Ukraine will go back to their 'activities'.

Except now both Poroshenko and Putin will look good.

Nothing... Nothing will change for poor locals - yes, the shelling will stop, but the country is running awash with armed bandits both Russian and Ukrainian (not counting other ethnic groups).

No law. No order. No food. No water. No medical supplies. No human rights. Just the law of the gun. Carried by people who are the Law upon themself.

This ceasefire paper has as much weight and meaning as Gaza-Israeli ceasefire deal. Not even one side is happy.

Sorry to rain on the Parade day.

Edited September 6, 2014 by ABCer

[Matej]

Only reason we're seeing this ceasefire is the sanctions already applied and the threat of more.

Putin's game called Donbas have just started ...

Edited September 6, 2014 by Matej

[F430murci]

ceasefire will make many people in the EU and USA upset.

Nope, very happy. Wife cried when she saw out of relief. No one in US wants conflict here. Just creates potential to rock US's happy little boat and Obama is more focused on national policies such as rectifying racism and social systems than he is on World issues.

[Matej]

Ukraine is not lost.

The West(especially EU) must respond very quickly.

A new Marshall Plan for Ukraine - financial support, the widest possible relaxation of tariffs and quotas on Ukrainian products (steel, grain, agricultural products)

also we have to much more accelerate efforts to supply Ukraine with natural gas by reversing the flow of existing pipelines.

Slovakia already did, around 10 billions cubic meters can be shipped per year - very good signal.

Absolutely essential: The west should give the strongest possible support to the parliamentary elections in October.

We need to offer Ukraine military training, assistance, arms, equipment ...

Russia(furious bear) don't have a constructive solution(plan, program, whatsoever) for Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin wants to stop political transformation of Ukraine, he wants back 'Yanukovych', his doll, he needs him for his project, counterpart of EU.

Let's look at bear's modern politics, integration/international projects in a nutshell:

- 1991 fall of communism

- Boris Jelcin's era(1991-1999), bear is half-dead, almost fall apart(Siberia), 1998 bankruptcy

- 1994 - 1996 First Chechnen War

- The Union(Russia-Belorussia) failed

- 1999 Vladimir Putin, third world economy model - finite resources, Second Chechen War

- gas disputes, 2004 Belorussia(Putin's best friend) Beltrangaz, 2007 and 2009 Ukrajine

- Putin before 2007(before Munich speech), wanted to be part of EU, trio Putin-Chirac-Schroeder ...

- Putin after 2007, Eurasian union, EU is an enemy - homosexuals

- 2008 war with Georgia

- 2014 Ukraine

In one word disaster.

We have to take an advantage on it and offer a constructive solution, long-term strategic plan to Ukraine.

Ukraine can still be a democratic and modern country.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Matej

[Pakboong]

Does anyone else find it odd that a Russian withdrawal was not one of the conditions of the cease fire? I guess those Russians who invaded will just hang out in Ukraine until the fighting starts back up

[craigt3365]

Several posts have been removed from view. No unsubstantiated rumors and no foreign language links. Please.

[Scott]

Off-topic post deleted.

[BATHIK]

Several posts have been removed from view. No unsubstantiated rumors and no foreign language links. Please.

Sorry for foreign language link.

Right now Igor Strelkov, latest write up here, came out after a month of silence with several comments on the current situation, mostly on politics surrounding rebel government. Not sure if translating them here would be acceptable.

[lovetotravel]

Several posts have been removed from view. No unsubstantiated rumors and no foreign language links. Please.

Sorry for foreign language link.

Right now Igor Strelkov, latest write up here, came out after a month of silence with several comments on the current situation, mostly on politics surrounding rebel government. Not sure if translating them here would be acceptable.

Great article. Proof positive Russia is in this up to their neck, with Russian soldiers on the ground in Ukraine. A comment that Russia has already "taken" Ukraine. And a comment about Russia's desire to gain additional territory. Something the mainstream media have been saying all along, but Russia has been denying. But seriously, this article does help clear a lot up. They are Russian ultra-nationalist nut jobs, no different than the ones in other countries, but still nut jobs. And Russia is using them as proxy's in this war of theirs against another sovereign country. Dangerous stuff. Very good article.

Strange times throw up strange heroes — and in Russia’s proxy war with Ukraine, none is more enigmatic than the Donetsk rebel leader Igor Girkin, better known by his nom de guerre of Igor Strelkov.

.........

A veteran of wars in Bosnia, Transnistria and Chechnya, Strelkov is a reserve colonel in the Russian army and a former (and possibly current) officer in Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU.