More than 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting, and a sharp increase in skirmishes raised concern that Moscow could use the situation as a pretext for an invasion.
PEACE AGREEMENTS
The deal quickly collapsed and large-scale fighting resumed, leading to another major defeat for Ukrainian forces at Debaltseve in January-February of 2015. With the Minsk deal effectively stalled, Moscow's hope to use rebel regions to directly influence Ukraine's politics has failed, but the frozen conflict has drained Kyiv's resources and effectively stymied its goal of joining NATO — which is enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution.
Facing calls from Berlin and Paris for its implementation, Ukrainian officials have strengthened criticism of the Minsk deal and warned that it could lead to the country's demise. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discusses the latest on the Russian conflict at the Ukraine border.Ukraine and the rebels accused each other Thursday of intensive shelling along the line of contact in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Explainer: How the latest filing in the investigation of the Trump-Russia probe generated buzzThe latest filing from special counsel John Durham in his investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has been seized on by conservative media and Donald Trump himself as vindication of the former president’s oft-repeated claims that he was “spied” on. That’s not exactly what Durham alleged.
Read more »
Explainer: How the latest Trump-Russia filing generated buzzThe latest filing from special counsel John Durham in his investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has been seized
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russia adds as many as 7,000 troops, US official saysThe Ukrainian government has denied any intention to launch an offensive on the separatist-held areas.
Read more »
Ukraine, Russian-backed rebels accuse each other of shelling amid fears of Russia creating false pretext for invasionNew footage from the Ukrainian military shows a heavily damaged kindergarten in the Luhansk region of the country with an apparent blast crater in its adjoining yard and rubble in its classrooms. The military has blamed the damage on pro-Russian forces.
Read more »
Russia is still building up troops near Ukraine, say U.S. and NATO | amNewYorkThe United States and NATO said Russia was still building up troops around Ukraine on Wednesday despite Moscow's insistence it was pulling back, questioning President Vladimir Putin's stated desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis.
Read more »
U.S. says Russia continues to mass troops along Ukraine's bordersOne day after the Russian government said it was moving some troops away from the border of Ukraine, U.S. officials said the opposite seems to be happening.
Read more »