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Ukrainian President Ends Cease-Fire With Rebels Ukrainian President Ends Cease-Fire With Rebels
(about 2 hours later)
MOSCOW — President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine said early Tuesday that he had ordered a resumption of military efforts to crush a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine, formally ending a cease-fire after 10 days because, he said, rebels had refused to put down their weapons and had persisted in attacking government troops.MOSCOW — President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine said early Tuesday that he had ordered a resumption of military efforts to crush a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine, formally ending a cease-fire after 10 days because, he said, rebels had refused to put down their weapons and had persisted in attacking government troops.
Mr. Poroshenko’s order came after he and the leaders of Russia, Germany and France held a second four-way conference call aimed at promoting the peace process. Mr. Poroshenko’s order came after he and the leaders of Russia, Germany and France held a four-way conference call — their second in two days — aimed at promoting the peace process.
European leaders on Friday issued an ultimatum to Russia, saying that they were prepared to impose additional economic sanctions if concrete steps were not taken by Monday toward ending the violence. Fighting. however, had continued unabated with additional casualties, and there was little progress toward the goals set by the Europeans. “We will attack and liberate our land,” Mr. Poroshenko said in a televised statement to the nation broadcast after midnight. “Termination of the cease-fire is our response to terrorists, insurgents, marauders, everyone who tortures civilians, paralyzes the economy of the region, disrupts payments of salaries, pensions, scholarships, blasts the railroad, destroys the water pipes and deprives people of normal peaceful life.”
Although the three other leaders had called for continuing the cease-fire, which Mr. Poroshenko imposed unilaterally on June 20 and expired at 10 p.m. Monday, in a statement shortly before 1 a.m. he said that he had come to the conclusion that the rebel leaders had no control over the fighters and that government troops could not just defend themselves in the face of continuing attacks. European leaders on Friday issued an ultimatum to Russia, saying that they were prepared to impose additional economic sanctions if concrete steps were not taken by Monday toward ending the violence. Fighting, however, had continued unabated with additional casualties, and there was little progress toward the goals set by the Europeans.
“We will attack and liberate our land,” Mr. Poroshenko said in a statement to the nation. “Termination of the cease-fire is our response to terrorists, insurgents, marauders, everyone who tortures civilians, paralyzes the economy of the region, disrupts payments of salaries, pensions, scholarships, blasts the railroad, destroys the water pipes and deprives people of normal peaceful life.” After the conference call on Monday, President François Hollande of France and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, each issued statements stressing the importance of achieving a truce. “The main goal should be achieving a mutual cease-fire,” Ms. Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said.
“Peace was, is and will be my goal,” he said. “What is changing are the tools to achieve it.” The Kremlin also issued a statement, saying that President Vladimir V. Putin had specifically “stressed the importance of extending the cease-fire,” which Mr. Poroshenko imposed unilaterally on June 20 and which formally expired at 10 p.m. Monday.
It was unclear whether Mr. Poroshenko’s order to the military to resume its campaign against the rebels would change much. In his statement, however, Mr. Poroshenko, asserted that previous steps agreed upon by the four leaders had not been fulfilled. After the conference call, he held a meeting of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, and in his televised speech, he said he had concluded that rebel leaders had no control over the fighters and that government troops could not just defend themselves in the face of continuing attacks.
Since the separatist insurrection began about three months ago, government forces have been unable to contain the rebellion, and there have been hundreds of casualties on each side. “Peace was, is and will be my goal,” Mr. Poroshenko said in the statement. “What is changing are only the tools to achieve it.”
The Ukrainian government and its allies in the West, including the United States, have accused Russia of supplying tanks, artillery and other weapons to the rebels and of allowing Russian citizens to cross the border to join the rebel militias. Although Mr. Poroshenko’s announcement suggested a full-scale resumption of the military’s campaign against the rebels, it was unclear whether his order would change much. Since the separatist insurrection began about three months ago, government forces have been unable to contain the rebellion, and there have been hundreds of casualties on each side.
There was no immediate reaction from the Kremlin to Mr. Poroshenko’s announcement, but President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has blamed the Ukrainian government for the continuing violence in the east. The Ukrainian government and its allies in the West, including the United States, have accused Russia of supplying tanks, artillery and other weapons to the rebels and of allowing Russian citizens to cross the border to join the rebel militias. Russia has denied supplying tanks, and has accused the United States intelligence services of aiding the Ukrainian government in attacking the separatists, who are often referred to as “protesters” by the Kremlin.
There was no immediate reaction from the Kremlin to Mr. Poroshenko’s announcement, but Mr. Putin has repeatedly blamed the Ukrainian government for the continuing violence in the east.
In nascent peace talks last week led by the former Ukrainian president Leonid M. Kuchma, rebel leaders demanded a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian military forces as a precondition to formal peace negotiations.In nascent peace talks last week led by the former Ukrainian president Leonid M. Kuchma, rebel leaders demanded a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian military forces as a precondition to formal peace negotiations.
Mr. Poroshenko had initially declared the cease-fire unilaterally as part of a broader 15-point peace plan on June 20, saying the truce would last a week.
Although there was never any real halt in hostilities, Mr. Poroshenko formally extended the cease-fire on Friday, after the Europeans issued their ultimatum, until Monday night.
In his statement, Mr. Poroshenko insisted that the Ukrainian government had done its utmost to bring peace to the eastern region, known as the Donbass.In his statement, Mr. Poroshenko insisted that the Ukrainian government had done its utmost to bring peace to the eastern region, known as the Donbass.
“For 10 days we have demonstrated to the Donbass, to Ukraine, and to the world our commitment to peacefully settle the conflict triggered externally,” he said. He added that “a unique opportunity” for peace had been lost “because of the criminal actions of the militants.” The Ukrainian government said that at least 27 of its soldiers had been killed in the days since Mr. Poroshenko declared the cease-fire.
He added that that “a unique opportunity” for peace had been lost “because of the criminal actions of the militants.” At a news briefing in Washington on Monday, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, the top NATO commander, said that Russia was continuing to arm Ukrainian separatists despite the truce, that the military equipment provided included antiaircraft weapons.
The failure of the cease-fire had been noted even as representatives of various governments scrambled to preserve it. At a news briefing in Washington on Monday, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, the top NATO commander, said that Russia was continuing to arm Ukrainian separatists despite the truce, and that it was including antiaircraft weapons among the military equipment being provided to them. A number of Ukrainian aircraft have been shot down by separatists in recent weeks, including a military transport plane that was downed last month, killing 49. Last week, a military helicopter was shot down, killing nine.
A number of Ukrainian planes have been shot down by separatists in recent weeks, including a military transport plane that was brought down last month, killing 49. Last week, a military helicopter was shot down, killing nine.
General Breedlove said there was a “very good likelihood” that Russian-supplied antiaircraft weapons had been used to shoot down the aircraft, though he added, “We haven’t tied the strings directly together yet.”General Breedlove said there was a “very good likelihood” that Russian-supplied antiaircraft weapons had been used to shoot down the aircraft, though he added, “We haven’t tied the strings directly together yet.”
Among those killed in the continuing violence was a veteran Russian television cameraman, Anatoly Klyan, who had worked for the state-controlled Channel One for 40 years. Among those killed in the continuing violence on Monday was a Russian television cameraman, Anatoly Klyan, who had worked for the state-controlled Channel One for 40 years.
According to Channel One, Mr. Klyan, 68, and his crew were traveling on a small bus with the mothers of conscripted soldiers and other journalists to a Ukrainian military base north of the regional capital of Donetsk, when the bus came under small-arms fire by Ukrainian troops. According to Channel One, Mr. Klyan, 68, and his crew were traveling on a small bus with the mothers of conscripted soldiers, and other journalists, to a Ukrainian military base north of the regional capital of Donetsk, when the bus came under small-arms fire by Ukrainian troops.
Mr. Klyan was shot in the stomach but continued to film. Video images of the episode showed him on the bus after being shot, and he could be heard telling colleagues that he was no longer strong enough to hold his camera. Mr. Klyan was shot in the stomach. Video images of the episode showed him on the bus, continuing to film after being shot. He could then be heard saying that he was no longer strong enough to hold his camera.
Channel One said the trip had been organized by rebel fighters. Channel One said that the trip had been organized by rebel fighters.
Mr. Klyan was at least the fifth journalist to die in eastern Ukraine since hostilities began about three months ago, but there was no evidence that they had been the targets in any of the attacks.
Nonetheless, the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday issued a blistering statement condemning the Ukrainian government over the death of Mr. Klyan and the other journalists, and also complained of other instances of reporters coming under fire.