Alexander Zakharchenko, the rebel leader in Donetsk, announced the cease-fire agreement on Russian television on Tuesday; he condemned Kiev for a “lack of willingness to solve the problem in a peaceful manner”. However what had been a state of war seemed to morph into a low-grade conflict that nonetheless continued to claim lives on both sides.
Advertisement
In the 24 hours before Tuesday’s cease-fire announcement, Ukrainian government officials said three government troops were killed and 15 wounded.
The separatist leader said the rebels are “fully committed to the Minsk agreements” and see them as “the only solution”. It was the first time the separatists announced a unilateral cease-fire. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
“Military units of Donetsk People’s Republic do not consider it as a weakness rather than a demonstration of a good will”, Zakharchenko said, according to Ruptly TV, a news agency funded by the Russian government.
Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said over the past day separatists had also used heavy weapons for the first time this month and directly attacked a Ukrainian position in the Luhansk region.
The attack killed at least three Ukrainian soldiers and wounded 15.
The announcement came hours after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko revealed lawmakers will vote on constitutional amendments for autonomy for parts of eastern Ukraine.
“Decentralization is a policy that has no alternative”, Poroshenko reportedly tweeted Tuesday.
Ukraine has blamed Russian Federation for not doing enough to get the rebels to relinquish control over parts of the shared border, while Russian Federation is unhappy that Ukraine still has not adopted the constitutional amendments.
Poroshenko’s office also announced Tuesday that he will be meeting the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Poland, and Britain this week.
Advertisement
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, now visiting Riga, Latvia, said a lasting truce is possible.
