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February 11, 2015

Obama Urges Putin to Accept Ukraine Peace Deal as Violence Peaks 
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President Obama has urged Vladimir Putin to accept a peace deal with
Ukraine while warning of "rising costs" if the Russian leader does not.
Obama and Putin spoke by phone ahead of today's talks between Russia,
Ukraine, Germany and France in Belarus. The White House says Obama
stressed "the importance of ... seizing the opportunity" of the
negotiations, while also warning "the costs will rise" if Russia
continues backing Ukrainian rebels. Obama's call to Putin came one day
after he said he is considering arming the Ukrainian government. A
number of European countries, including France and Germany, have opposed
military aid to Kiev. The talks come as eastern Ukraine is seeing some
of its worst violence to date. At least 12 people were killed and 64
wounded in the city of Kramatorsk when a rocket struck the headquarters
of the Ukrainian military's campaign. On the eve of today's talks,
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for the removal of Russian
soldiers from Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko: "This is absolutely unacceptable.
And that's why we think that these crimes should be punished. We
demanded immediate, unconditional ceasefire, withdrawal of the troops,
closing the border, and withdrawal of all the foreign troops from
Ukrainian territory."

Poroshenko said today he is prepared to impose martial law throughout
Ukraine. Casualties were also reported from shelling in the rebel-held
city of Donetsk. Ukraine says it wants a return to the terms of a
September ceasefire, while Russia says any new truce must reflect the
gains of separatist rebels over Ukrainian forces since fighting resumed.
Russia has also called for assurances against NATO expansion and
addressing the grievances of eastern Ukrainians opposed to the Kiev
government that came to power with the ouster of elected President
Viktor Yanukovych one year ago.

 

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