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 ...
It ends when Pupin’ quits abusing his neighbor state’s sovereignty.
End of story.
I’d be very careful of a summit. Any compromise, will be a compromise regarding Ukrainian sovereignty.
That should not even be on the table.
Imagine the Ukraine sending mercs into Russia, then trying to set up a summit to compromise. No, Russia would demand it simply retreat and stop all hostilities.
Russia should work from that model, without a summit.
And don’t forget (I know you haven’t) that Russia has already gobbled-up a piece of Ukraine.
In a few months Kiev will forget Crimea and talk about some sort of Donetsk autonomy.
Being cold does that.
Crimea had autonomy before it was annexed, incidentally.
Well, unless Putin, the God of Putinista poltroons and pro-despot lowbrows, invades it’s all over but the Putinista crying. Sniff. Sniff
I agree.
Careful. That site might be Nazi/Soros. Try flicking through some random twitter accounts if you want the real skinny.
Unsourced Twitter reports say that the Banderite/Nazi forces are on the run, and the rest are defecting to the Russian side.
There you go! Doesn’t that feel better? If you really want to get the buzz tho’, just keep telling everyone that ‘winter’s coming’.
Maybe taking out that column of Russian armor that was posing as “humanitarian aid” did the trick?
I am pleased that the Ukrainians look like they will be able to repel the Sov, er, Russians on their own.
After all, they can’t depend on us, memo or no memo
Thank you for this post.
Poroshenko had better bring along his own food, cookware and cooks, and make sure that Putin can’t do anything more than shake his hand in front of cameras. Otherwise, he may be poisoned.
They cost about 40 bucks at Walmart.
looks like what, about 2500 watts? Per room. Per country?
It would be really foolish to make any political settlement based on a promise or expectation of energy supplied by Putin.
#PutinOnTheHits
lmao
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