Posted on 08/19/2014 9:42:02 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
DONETSK Ukraine/BERLIN (Reuters) - A gun battle broke out in the center of the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk and residents ran for cover from artillery fire on Tuesday, taking a government military offensive into the heart of the retreating pro-Moscow separatist rebellion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart will meet next week for the first time in months to try to end their confrontation over the separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine, their offices said.
In a prelude to the talks between Putin and Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to visit the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Saturday, her office said, to show support for the Ukrainian government.
A diplomatic solution would have to resolve a contradiction: with his troops advancing and victory possibly within reach, Poroshenko has little incentive to offer the kind of compromises that would allow Putin to achieve a face-saving deal.
Donetsk has for months been the headquarters of Ukraine's separatist rebellion, with rebel flags flying over administrative buildings and where residents strolled along the main avenue lined with flower bed and fountains.
On Tuesday afternoon, the center of the city was transformed into a battle zone.
A Reuters reporter said intense shooting broke out. Five or six rebel gunmen ran through a shopping mall car park, ducking behind cars and firing their guns.
It was not possible to determine at whom they were firing; there was no sign of Ukrainian troops and the rebels remained in control of the center.
In a park near the rebel headquarters building, residents fled when they heard the sound of shelling nearby. Shops closed early, and cars with gunmen inside sped through the streets, ignoring red traffic signals.
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.reuters.com ...
Ukrainians are taking back their cities and towns from this Russian scum. May Ukraine have peace, freedom and security... curse Russia.
Nowhere else to get it.
Russia drains $500-600 Billion from its enemies exporting oil and gas each year. They are just asking Ukraine to add to that.
If they can’t pay, then yes, there will be non monetary costs like having policy dictated, but if they just pay their bills there won’t be any problems.
This is a world where the spigot is more powerful than weaponry. They have the gold and they make the rules.
The problem to begin with, was trusting Russia to be a stable business partner.
Even China has cheap alternatives to the recent natural gas deal that was only agreed on after 20 years of negotiations because a cornered and desperate Putin caved on the price and made a bad deal just so he could score political points with ill informed Russians. Putin is not in the tyrannical position of power you expect everyone to bow down to.
There are alternatives for Ukraine and others in the long run.
Putin shut off gas deliveries to Ukraine in June. That card has already been played.
Don’t think Gazprom, not Putin, shut off gas deliveries. They just insist on payment up front. As would you if you were not being paid.
The gas deal with China was also a GAZPROM negotiation, not Putin. Pipeline gas is very cheap so any price above cost is chaching. I see Kiev went hat in hand to GAZPROM just yesterday asking to re-open talks. They know winter approaches.
The gas deal with China was also a GAZPROM negotiation, not Putin.You are very ill informed if you really believe that after 20 years GAZPROM negotiated the deal with China.
Russia's Putin seeks gas deal on state visit to China
There is a motto that Real Red-Blooded Freedom Loving Americans know well, that maybe on a slight chance you heard: Freedom is not free.
Ukraine does have challenges. They are working to reduce energy consumption by 30% and bring in 20% by reverse flow from Slovakia, as well as other ideas. Any short term hardship is preferable to perpetually groveling to Russia - which is run more like a cut-throat mafia than a modern civilized country.
If they can’t pay Gazprom (and note 20 yrs is longer than Putin has been in power so the Gazprom entity was the negotiator), then why should Slovakia expect to be paid?
All they gotta do is write the check. If they don’t have the money to cover the check, then time to surrender.
(and note 20 yrs is longer than Putin has been in power so the Gazprom entity was the negotiator)In the years before Putin actually traveled to China determined to make the deal, even a bad deal just so he could score political points with the stuck on stupid Russian population that allows him to game the political system and keep power, Boris Yeltsin was not made desperate by economic sanctions slapped on by 32 countries to travel to China and make a bad deal.
Slovakia will get paid. Ukraine is in a dispute with Russia about the price owed and it is being negotiated. In case you haven't noticed... Russia has been invading Ukraine and causing hostilities between them.
As for "time to surrender"... obviously not. But if that is your mentality on geopolitics then you should be expecting Putin to be the one surrendering. LoL!
Your short response has been reduced to doubling down on stupid not worthy of further attention and your sick attitude of "time to surrender" over the price of energy is testament to the mafia thuggish type of ignorant people that Putin attracts as supporters.
Putin doesn’t matter. Neither does the media. Nor your beloved deadbeats in Kiev.
Pay your bill. NOW. And your “Slovakia will get paid” wave of the hand sounds like the recipient of a bill collector.
“You will get your money.”
“When? How? You have none.”
“You will get your money.”
“When? How? You have none.”
“I’ll get it somehow.”
“You were just given an IMF tranche. You didn’t pay. Why should you get more gas? From anyone?”
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