Moscow evokes irreversible consequences for Ukraine ReutersPar by Richard Balmforth | Reuters - there are 2 hours 58 minutes KIEV (Reuters) - The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that Ukraine should face irreversible consequences if it tried to resolve the crisis by force in the country, what Moscow sees as a strategic mistake. This warning made by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin was quoted by the Interfax news agency, comes as fighting continues in the Donetsk airport area held by government forces say they have lost three soldiers in the last 24 hours. The army added that 66 soldiers were wounded in clashes since Sunday against armed separatists resumed their attacks after-offensive against loyalist troops. The Ukrainian authorities commit their biggest mistake and even a strategic error by focusing on a military solution to the crisis in Ukrainian society and all the problems in south-eastern Ukraine, said Karasine. This can lead to irreversible consequences for the Ukrainian state. These comments came after sending a letter to Vladimir Putin to his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko detailing his own plan for peace, an initiative that was rejected by Kiev. Ukrainian authorities believe that Moscow should stick to protocol 12 points reached in early September in Minsk, Belarus. The cons-offensive launched on Monday to take back the land recently won by the pro-Russian is not a violation of this agreement, said Kiev. It is very important that a concrete plan is signed resuming, without exception, all the points of the agreement in Minsk, not just those who agree to Russia or terrorist, said Evhen Perebynis, spokesman Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on television. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE Donetsk, the main town in eastern Ukraine, held by rebels who proclaimed it a peoples republic. Part of the contrast airport remains under the control of the regular forces who launched an offensive against the course of the weekend, claiming to have regained the lost positions from the Minsk Agreement, signed on September 5, which provided an immediate cease-fire. The separatist fighters Popular republics Donetsk and Luhansk continue to besiege Donetsk airport and take our positions, said the spokesman of the Ukrainian army, Andriy Lysenko. It is not just a strategic objective. It is a base from which terrorists could launch a new offensive. We will not give this airport, he added. A military source told Reuters that at least 25 Russian tanks had crossed the border near Luhansk. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said that the intelligence services in Kiev, confirmed the continuation of deliveries of military equipment from Russia to separatists. Shielded, howitzers, Grad missiles, Smerch, Bouk said he said at a joint press conference with Ewa Kopacz, Polish First Minister. In Brussels, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini ruled that there was no time to lift sanctions against Moscow. Mogherini felt, however, that Europeans should continue to dialogue with Russia to encourage it to implement the peace agreements. But for some countries like Lithuania supporters of a hardline stance, the diplomatic option may suggest a weakening of the common determination. (Natalia Zinets; Henri-Pierre André Pierre Serisier and Eric Faye for the French service)
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 22:16:25 +0000
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