Kiev contests rebels’ weapon pullback claim
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PRO-RUSSIA separatists said yesterday they had begun pulling heavy weapons from the front line in east Ukraine under a cease-fire deal, but Kiev said the rebels were using the cover of the truce to reinforce for another advance.
Fighting has eased in eastern Ukraine in recent days, raising hope that a cease-fire due to start on February 15 can finally take effect after the rebels initially ignored it to storm a government-held town last week.
Since taking the railway hub of Debaltseve in one of the worst defeats for Kiev of the war, the Moscow-backed rebels have indicated they want the truce to take effect. But Kiev said the rebels are still shooting, which the rebels denied.
The disagreement over a weapons pullback came as talks about a fragile peace deal for Ukraine were underway in Paris between the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France.
European countries have warned of new economic sanctions against Moscow if the rebels advance deeper into territory the Kremlin calls “New Russia.” Washington said it could arm Kiev.
“Today at 9 in the morning the planned withdrawal of heavy equipment started,” rebel commander Eduard Basurin said.
“We’re pulling it back 50 kilometers from the boundary line ... Of course we won’t say exactly where we’re pulling it back to.”
Basurin denied reports of fighting in southeast Ukraine, saying there had been “provocations” from the government side but no serious clashes.
But the Kiev military said that rebel assertions they were pulling back guns were “empty words.”
“On the contrary, the terrorist groups, making use of the cease-fire period, are reinforcing their units and building up ammunition.”
It said one of its soldiers had been killed and seven wounded in the past 24 hours, and repeated that it will not start pulling back weapons until the shooting stops.
“As soon as the fighters implement the cease-fire for two full days, that is the sole signal to start the withdrawal,” said military spokesman Andriy Lysenko.
Separatist press service DAN reported 10 incidents of government shelling near the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.
Kiev and its Western allies said the rebels are funded and armed by Moscow, and backed by Russian military units on the ground.
Moscow denied aiding sympathizers in Ukraine, and said the heavily armed Russian-speaking troops operating without insignia there are not its men.
Putin, who has mainly struck a conciliatory tone since the rebels captured Debaltseve last week, said he did not think Russia and Ukraine would go to war.
“I think such an apocalyptic scenario is unlikely,” he said.
He also said he saw no need for another meeting with the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine like the one that produced the truce deal.
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