Thursday, March 12, 2015

The ceasefire is holding, but, some are concerned it may be a lull.

March 12, 2015
By Lucas Powers

The current lull in fighting in Ukraine, (click here) the result of a ceasefire signed in February, is a temporary reprieve from a protracted conflict that will likely end with the country's eastern regions becoming de facto Russian satellite states, according to military experts.

Signed in the Belarusian capital of Minsk and brokered largely by Germany and France, the ceasefire went into effect on Feb. 15. It was the third agreement to be implemented in the conflict between Ukrainian government forces and separatist fighters backed by Moscow that has claimed nearly 6,000 lives and displaced 1.8 million people.

Both forces have begun pulling back artillery and heavy guns from the front line in accordance with the ceasefire conditions. Despite being an encouraging development, both sides continue to report deaths, mainly from small arms and rocket fire....

The concern is Russia will only reassess the region during this lull and plan to reenter the country of Ukraine. I don't know why that doubt exists as it may be more fear than fact.

I hope the politics of Russia and Ukraine aren't interfering with the ceasefire and much sought after peace.