UPDATE: *POROSHENKO SAYS UN MUST NOT ALLOW FULL-SCALE WAR IN EUROPE
As the game of chicken between Greece and the Eurogroup hots up, it appears another – potentially far more deadly – is escalating in Ukraine as neither side is willing to follow through on the terms of the Minsk Summit peace deal – removing heavy weaponry from the frontlines – as a key deadline passes without agreement. As The Guardian reports, The Ukrainian military have stated that “as soon as the militants cease fire, the Ukrainian side will begin to withdraw heavy weaponry from the frontline,” and the pro-Russian separatists proclaim, “We do not have the right [to stop fighting for Debaltseve],” adding that as far as the truce, “we have everything ready for a mutual withdrawal. We will not do anything unilaterally – that would make our soldiers targets.”
As The Guardian reports, and Interfax confirms, the situation in Debaltseve is deteriorating…
Kiev on Tuesday reported artillery strikes overnight around the key transportation hub of Debaltseve while the situation in the rest of the conflict zone appeared to be calm.
An Associated Press reporter heard sustained shelling around Debaltseve – where government troops are encircled – on Tuesday morning, some coming from Grad rocket launchers.
A senior rebel representative told Reuters that the separatists cannot “morally” stop fighting for control of the town.
Denis Pushilin also said rebels could not withdraw heavy weaponry, as set out in the deal, unless Ukrainian forces did so as well.
