Will Ukraine Cease-Fire Hold Much Longer? - East Idaho News
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Will Ukraine Cease-Fire Hold Much Longer?

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getty 090814 ukrainiansoldiers?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1410185934457Spencer Platt/Getty Images(KIEV, Ukraine) — The cease-fire deal negotiated last Friday by Russia and Ukraine is already showing signs of falling apart at the seams.

One of the hot spots in eastern Ukraine is the key port city of Mariupol with reports of rocket attacks on government forces.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military-held airport in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk has also come under fire.

The chairman of the Supreme Council of the Donetsk People’s Republic said Sunday that while the parties agreed to end five months of fighting in eastern Ukraine, “the battles are continuing.”

A full 12-point cease-fire agreement that consisted of only a page-and-a-half of stipulations was made public Sunday. Among the items listed were concessions made by Kiev to give more autonomy to Russia-friendly Ukrainians in the east.  However, it was unclear how much leeway the central government would grant the separatists.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is not willing to allow full independence to rebels interested in merging with the Russian Federation, similar to what happened with Crimea.

There is also some grumbling among Ukrainians that Poroshenko was interested in a quick truce because his forces would not be able to withstand Russian military might.


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