Minsk peace deal in danger as fierce fighting continues

Europe, News February 14, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Fierce fighting has been reported in eastern Ukraine, after a peace deal was reached in Minsk.

The group responsible for monitoring the ceasefire, due to start at midnight on Saturday, says there is still “quite serious live fire” in several areas.

Ukraine’s army said the most ferocious fighting centred on Debaltseve, a railway junction where rebels have besieged government troops in a last-ditch effort to win the town.

“The enemy continues to build up forces in the main areas of the armed conflict. The most tense situation is near Debaltseve,” military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters.

Ukraine’s Right Sector leader Dmitry Yarosh said his radical movement rejects the Minsk peace deal and that their paramilitary units in eastern Ukraine will continue “active fighting” according to their “own plans.”

The ultranationalist leader published a statement on his Facebook page Friday, saying that his radical Right Sector movement doesn’t recognize the peace deal, signed by the so-called ‘contact group’ on Thursday and agreed upon by Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia after epic 16-hour talks.

Yarosh claimed that any agreement with the eastern militia, whom he calls “terrorists,” has no legal force.

In his statement, Yarosh claimed that that the Minsk deal is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution, so Ukrainian citizens are not obliged to abide by it. Thus if the army receives orders to cease military activity and withdraw heavy weaponry from the eastern regions, the Right Sector paramilitaries, who are also fighting there “reserve the right” to continue the war, he said.

Michael Bociurkiw, spokesman for the OSCE monitoring group, said they were hopeful the deal would be fully implemented, but said things on the ground remained very turbulent.

“We feel that the Minsk agreements are really the only available roadmap to a sustainable ceasefire. But now unfortunately… there’s quite serious live fire in areas like Luhansk, Debaltseve,” he said.

He also said monitors had witnessed “significant movements” of unmarked military vehicles and convoys.

Ukrainian government troops ride a tank towards the besieged town of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine – 13 February 2015

European leaders have warned Russia that it faces additional sanctions if the Minsk agreement is not respected.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says wider measures, including further sanctions on Russia, could be implemented if the ceasefire is not upheld.

She has called the deal “a glimmer of hope”, adding: “It is very important that words are followed by actions.”

Also Read: Ukraine peace deal: Russia and Ukraine agree to cease-fire

The breakthrough Minsk agreement was reached on Thursday following marathon overnight negotiations between Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia, and offer hope the fighting in Eastern Ukraine may come to an end. The talks were part of a Franco-German initiative. President Francois Hollande and Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Kiev and Moscow before meeting the Russian and Ukrainian leaders at the negotiating table in Minsk.

Pro-Russian rebels signed the peace agreement but key issues remain to be settled – and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned that implementation would be difficult.

RT/BBC/PCR