EU Ministers to Hold Emergency Meeting on Ukraine

[uhnope]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Ministers Will Likely Discuss Tightening Sanctions Against Russia

BRUSSELS—European Union foreign ministers will gather here in an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the EU’s response to an assault by Russian-backed rebels on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini said on Twitter on Sunday.

The ministers will likely discuss whether to tighten sanctions against Russia for the attack, which killed dozens of civilians on Saturday in the strategically important port city on the Sea of Azov, officials said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier over the weekend said in response to the attack that governments need to know more about whether Moscow is trying to rein in the rebels or not.

Mariupol is near territory controlled by the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces have managed to retain control of the city since fighting in the country erupted nearly a year ago.

The attack came a day after the pro-Russian separatists announced they were pulling out of peace talks and launching a new offensive. Saturday’s attack, the deadliest in terms of civilian losses in the region in months, signaled a possible escalation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where a September cease-fire deal has never really taken hold.


Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-ministers-to-hold-emergency-meeting-on-ukraine-1422204386

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Putin's war on Ukraine is raging as Russian-backed forces seem to be arbitrarily bombing Ukrainian cities, full of civilians, without warning, so yeah EU maybe it's time you meet about this.

Russian mercenaries firing on Mariopul this weekend. Graphic warning:

[roamer65]

1. They have Greece to discuss now.

I suspect the Greek elections will be at the top of their list on Monday.

[Duckhunter935]

2. do not forget this one too

Eastern Ukraine: Investigate deadly artillery strike on civilian bus

An unguided Grad artillery system was apparently used in the strike, but at present it is unclear where the attack came from. It hit a civilian bus which was passing through a military checkpoint controlled by pro-Kyiv forces in the town of Volnovakha.

Shortly after the attack, pro-separatist news sites reported that the Ukrainian checkpoint had been destroyed. But a senior representative of the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic, the area’s de facto authorities, later reportedly claimed their artillery was unable to reach the checkpoint.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/eastern-ukraine-investigate-deadly-artillery-strike-civilian-bus-2015-01-13

OSCE findings and response

On January 14, the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) released its initial “spot report” of the scene of the Volnovakha bus attack. Their findings corroborated Ukraine’s initial claim and contradicted all of the DNR’s claims except for the possibility of a “rogue” Ukrainian artillery battalion

The bus had shrapnel damage consistent with a nearby rocket impact, estimated by the SMM to be 12-15 meters from the side of the bus.

On January 17, the OSCE released its findings from conducting crater trajectory analysis, which determines the origin direction of the rockets that were fired towards the Volnovakha checkpoint. This claim further bolstered Ukraine’s initial claims and contradicted all of the DNR’s claims, barring the possibility of a “rogue” Ukrainian artillery battalion operating from separatist-controlled territory in the north-northeast:

The SMM conducted a comprehensive inspection, focusing on five craters caused by explosions that had occurred during the incident. The investigation included comprehensive crater analysis of two specific blast craters, including the crater located 10 metres from the side of the passenger bus. In the SMM’s assessment all craters examined were caused by rockets fired from a north-north-eastern direction.

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2015/01/18/unpicking-the-donetsk-peoples-republics-tangled-volnovakha-bus-massacre-narrative/

[newthinking]

3. Ukrainian Leadership Decides in Favor of War

Interesting reading: This from Jan. 18th.
The current Ukraine war escalation was known and predicted.

- December: Turchynov (defense minister) publicly mentions the planned offensives in 2015.
- January 15th the mobilizations were approved in the Ukrainian Duma; conscription starts.
- Last week US trainers entered Ukraine.

In the interim, all hell breaks loose there.

--------------------------------------------------------

[font size=2]Ukrainian Leadership Decides in Favor of War[/font]
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=edit&forum=1016&thread=112384

[bemildred]

5. This (2015/01/12) is when the war was on again, when this meeting failed:

Talks fail to set Ukraine peace summit date

I don't know why they failed, but that was when.

http://www.thelocal.de/20150113/talks-fail-to-set-ukraine-peace-summit-date

[newthinking]

6. Amazing how that is hardly at all in the press??

Maybe I have missed it? I was sick during that time so it is possible.
Even so, the way the press reports is amazing. Here today and then gone tomorrow. No understanding or recognition of a leads to b leads to c....

[bemildred]

9. It was not a popular story, but then failure usually isn't.

But I figured we were due for another round of war right then. Once you decide not to talk, what else is there?

[newthinking]

4. The selective outrage is also telling. This war has been horror for civilians and Kiev has more than

it's share of the blame.

And the west will continue it's bias and mixed messages assuring more death and destruction

[Igel]

7. Ukr sources say there were actually 4 attacks that morning.

Three were directly clearly at Ukr force installations. The fourth was the largest, the reports said, and hit the civilians.

[freshwest]

8. I'm pessimistic, don't think the EU and its allies can do a thing. Putin's banking on that.

[Duckhunter935]

10. yep, I think you are right