Fresh from brokering a deal in Minsk between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Merkel told a news conference that EU leaders had asked the executive European Commission to prepare further sanctions in case the ceasefire did not hold.
"We hold open the possibility, if these new agreements are not implemented, that we must take further measures," she said, adding that existing sanctions could only be lifted when the grounds that led to the are removed.
The EU has already imposed sanctions on Russia and pro-Russian separatists in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, including visa bans and asset freezes on individuals as well as curbs on access to European capital markets, weapons and technology.
[jpost.com by Reuters]
13/2/15
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Kiev's ex-deputy chief of paramilitary battalion turned lawmaker vows to defy Minsk deal...
ReplyDeleteA former deputy commander of the Azov paramilitary battalion, which remains beyond the control of the central command in Kiev, currently holding a seat in the Ukrainian parliament has vowed to defy the Minsk Accords.
Igor Moseichuk said on his page in Facebook he would exert the maximum efforts to upset the implementation of these agreements in parliament.
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13/2/15
Fighting continues in Ukraine despite peace deal and looming cease-fire...
ReplyDeleteUkraine said Friday eight of their troops were killed and 34 wounded overnight in embattled easternUkraine, just a day after a peace deal and a quickly-approaching cease-fire deadline was hammered out with the help of European leaders.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian army general staff, Vladislav Selznyov, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency Friday that most of the overnight fighting was in Debaltseve, a key railroad hub that has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent days.
Fourteen people were also injured in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, municipal authorites said, according to the Associated Press. Reporters in the embattled city of Donetsk said the sound of artillery fire could still be heard there. And heavy fighting was also reported overnight in Luhansk, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported......................http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/fighting-continues-in-ukraine-despite-peace-deal-and-looming-cease-fire/2015/02/13/2b37a9c4-b309-11e4-bf39-5560f3918d4b_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage
13/2/15