Ukraine conflict
EU foreign ministers are due to meet in Brussels
to discuss imposing further sanctions on Russia
following an upsurge in fighting in east Ukraine.
The meeting was called after pro-Russian rebels
attacked the port of Mariupol at the weekend. The EU and the US have already slapped asset
freezes and travel bans on Russian individuals and
businesses as well as Ukrainian separatist leaders.
Nato says hundreds of Russian tanks and
armoured vehicles are in east Ukraine.
EU leaders meeting on 12 February will have to
confirm any new measures. They may also discuss
possible new financial sanctions on Russia, co-
ordinated with the US, our correspondent adds. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told
the BBC that European values were under attack in
Ukraine.
"If we see no signs of improvement we should
proceed with further sanctions," he said. "How
many people should be killed in order to realise
that lines were crossed many times?" The White House gave a strong signal on
Wednesday that it was considering further
sanctions against Russia over its support for the
separatists.
US Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President
Petro Poroshenko spoke on the phone after which
the US condemned "Russian-backed separatists"
and the "heavy toll that the Russian-backed
offensive in the east was having on Ukraine's
civilian population". "As long as Russia continues its blatant disregard of
its obligations... the costs for Russia will continue to
rise," Mr Biden was reported to have told Mr
Poroshenko.
Fighting continued on Wednesday with separatists
accusing Ukrainian forces of shelling civilian areas. Rebels have almost fully encircled government
troops in the city of Debaltseve in the Donetsk
region, which has a strategic railway hub. Witnesses said the town appeared deserted on
Wednesday with many buildings damaged. Shell
fire could be heard in the background.
In response, Russia said it would boycott sessions
until the year's end. More than 4,800 people have been killed and some
1.2 million have fled since rebels took control of
parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in April. It followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.
2 replies
I have no clear idea of what is going on with Ukraine and I doubt many of the average citizens on either side of this civil war have much of a clearer picture. To die is a sad thing, but to die without knowing why, I consider this is to be worse.
Note how when we talk of the Ukraine civil war we cannot help but mention NATO and Russia. It is not fair that the people of Ukraine should have to suffer in a proxy war and their leaders have failed them in letting this happen and in some cases actively encouraging this just as the worlds leaders have failed us in supporting the war with words, money and arms.
The government in Kiev came to power as a result of an armed uprising, regardless of what anyone says that makes them no more legitimate than the separatists they fight.
