Fifth mission of Canadian surgeons will provide free surgeries to Ukrainian soldiers

February 12 – "Normandy Four" negotiations concluded in Minsk with a disappointing result for Ukraine. Putin did not give in on a single point – there will be no withdrawal of Russian troops (they are, of course, nowhere close to Ukraine), no immediate resumption of control over the border, no reinstatement of sovereignty over occupied Crimea or Donbas. There are, however, the obligations on behalf of Ukraine to service social needs of separatists, legalize their armed gangs and hold fake elections under their watchful eye. The situation looks a lot like the surrender of Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) to Hitler.

February 12 – Total financial assistance to Ukraine from the IMF and other organizations could amount to 40 billion dollars over 4 years, – said IMF's Managing Director Christine Lagarde.

February 12 – Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations has announced the preparations for the 14th so-called humanitarian aid convoy destined for Donbas – more weapons will be transported, no doubt.

February 12 – Russia has transferred another lot of military equipment and artillery to the territory of Ukraine, controlled by militants – approximately 50 tanks, 40 "Grad", "Uragan" and "Smerch" multiple rocket launch systems and 40 armored vehicles crossed Russian-Ukrainian border at border crossing point Izvaryne, – said NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

February 12 – The transfer of the amphibious assault ship "Vladivostok" (Mistral-class) to Russia could begin as early as next week.

February 12 – EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini does not expect sanctions against Russia to be discussed during the summit of EU member-states leaders to be held on Thursday.

February 12 – Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Lamberto Zannier hassaid that at present it is impossible to determine whether the militants in Donbas are also soldiers of the regular Russian army. OSCE has completely exhausted itself as a security-oriented organization.

February 12 – Agreements reached in Minsk during the meeting of the leaders of the countries of the "Normandy quartet" are absolutely weak. This was stated by the President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybaskaite, to journalists in Brussels before the EU Summit. "The fundamental part of the resolution is the control of the borders. It was not agreed upon and not resolved," she noted. "This means that the border is open for crossing by whatever soldiers and whatever artillery," remarked Grybaskaite. "This means that the resolution is totally weak," emphasized the President of Lithuania. She is also not very optimistic about the agreements on the cease-fire.

"Five months ago we already had one agreement about a cease-fire which was not implemented. Let's see what happens with this one," underlined Grybaskaite. "We will observe in the next few days how at least these partial agreements will be implemented," she added.

War is hell! (photo report from occupied Vuhlehirsk)

Russia lies... great start to Minsk agreement (Savchenko cannot be released!!)

Timothy Ash

Ukraine – deal thoughts

I guess with hindsight, a deal was always going to be done. Merkel was not going to get on a flight to Minsk, after Kyiv, Moscow, and Berlin, and not get something. And Putin needed to try and rebuild some bridges with Merkel, after seemingly upsetting her at Brisbane. Merkel is probably the honest broker in all this. She really feels for the Ukrainian position, but understands the real threat from Russia – she reads Putin better than any other Western leader, and cannot be bought. But it is Bismark-style real politik for Merkel, and she was desperate to stop the fighting – almost at any cost, which is entirely understandable. Hollande will likely get his aircraft carriers delivered, and sees all this as offering the hope of ressurection in terms of his presidency at home – a global leader, strutting the international stage and making Cameron, et al look like poodles, or rather a bulldog with no teeth. Putin gets his aircraft carriers, which will no doubt have a nice shiny berth now awaiting in Sebastopol. Putin also fended off near term threats of sanctions from the West, and can sell himself to allies in Europe (there are many) as a peacemaker – again heading off further sanctions threats. He has also not agreed to very much, as I don't think his signature is on the document, so if it fails (and it likely will) he can blame others. He has also headed off the threat of the US arming Ukraine – and therein he is in cahoots with Obama himself, who will see this deal as being useful in fending off calls from the DC consensus (including within his own administration) now to arm Ukraine – and can return to his own "splendid isolation" or "strategic patience" as it is now called stateside. That's a nice term for doing as little as possible. Poroshenko gets his IMF programme, and can try and roll out reforms attached to this to try and assure the supporters of Maydan that this team is really the Real Deal in terms of the reforms they so desire. Note the IMF press release was timed for 10am, just as news of the Minsk deal broke – so my sense is that someone was telling the Ukrainians that an IMF deal was contingent on a Minsk ceasefire deal. No ceasefire – no IMF deal. And the IMF gets to roll out its new programme, which it has been working on for months. Poroshenko probably also thinks that the ceasefire will buy time for Ukraine to regroup, rearm against the clear and present danger of further Russian intervention. But will it all stick/last? I just do not think so, as I still fail to see from this deal what is different to Minsk I in terms of delivery on Russian strategic objectives in Ukraine. Minsk I clearly did not deliver for Russia, hence that ceasefire did not last long, so let's see what is really different this time around. The issues of real autonomy/federalism, and border control don't appear to be properly addressed in this document. Constitutional reform towards the Russian agenda will be impossible for Poroshenko to deliver. And finally and fundamentally why I do not think that the status quo is sustainable – one year ago Russia felt the need to annex Crimea, and intervene in eastern Ukraine. But one year ago Ukraine was no threat to Russia as a) it was non aligned; b) popular support for Nato membership was low single digits, and there was little support in parliament or amongst political elites to drive Ukraine NATO membership. C) the west really did not want Ukraine in NATO as they saw this as a red rag to the Russian bull, and as events have proved could not defend Ukraine under NATO's TOR; c) the Ukrainian military had limited fighting capability as was proven in the early days of the conflict, but subsequently changed; d) the govt in Kyiv was weak and disarray and the Ukrainian economy on the brink of collapse; e) and as events have proven Russia had de facto control of Crimea via the stationing of 26,000 troops and the long term BSF agreement. And f) and finally Ukrainians were not anti-russian or even particularly anti-Putin. If Moscow was not a real threat a year ago, but Moscow felt compelled to intervene, look at the risk from a Russian perspective now from Ukraine – a) Ukraine is no longer non aligned. B) it now wants to join NATO and opinion polls now show majority support for this. C) Ukraine is rebuilding military capability and the military doctrine is now against the threat from Russia; d) Ukraine has a reform admin in Kyiv, which has a real chance of succeeding now with imf support. It can offer a rival and successful model of development to Putin's power vertical and sovereign democracy. E) Opinion polls show strong ukrainian opposition/distaste for the Putin regime. So, net-net the above still suggests the risk of further future Russian intervention in Ukraine.

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Maidan Community Sector, Lviv: Dear friends!

January 4 – No Ukrainian military have died, three were wounded in the ATO area in last 24 hours, said deputy NSDC spokesman Volodymyr Polevyi.

January 4 – Militants in Donetsk have again announced curfew restrictions (these were cancelled for new year holidays). The residents have been warned to carry a passport with them at all times and not to walk the streets of Donetsk after 10 pm.

January 4 – Situation in the ATO area (Donetsk direction) has significantly deteriorated during the day – illegal armed groups have carried out 22 attacks on Ukrainian military positions.

January 4 – Someone has tried to set fire to the office of Kherson Charity Foundation "Zakhyst" (community organization supporting the army). The incident is one in a series of attacks on charities and organizations of volunteers supporting Ukrainian Armed Forces in many cities of Ukraine.

January 4 – There was an explosion at the Coordination center for ATO soldiers in Odessa undermined. According to preliminary information, nobody has died or was wounded. Russian terrorists are trying to expand their activities across Ukraine.

January 4 – An absolute majority of citizens of Ukraine (88.3%) oppose the unification of their region to Russia; only 3.1% of respondents support this idea.

This is verified by the results of a sociologigal research which was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.

The degree of patriotism decreases moving from West to East, if one examines the situation by regions: West (94.0%), Central (98.1%),South (93.3%), East (81.5%). Overall, Kherson and Halychyna scored "zero". Its answer to Nikita Makhalkov was also provided by the "eternally Russian" city of Odesa – 0.0%.

Analagous figures were elicited by the question whether the citizens would want their region to separate from Ukraine, but to remain independent and not to unite with Russia. Only 2.6% want the independence of their region.

The reasearch "Thoughts and opinions of the residents of Ukraine: December 2014" was conducted at the request of ZN.UA Kyiv International Institute of Sociology on

December 4-19, 2014.

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Maidan Community Sector, Lviv: Dear friends!

January 1 – No Ukrainian military have died, 3 were wounded in the ATO area in the last 24 hours. The enemy has intensified their attacks and shelled Ukrainian military 23 times, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 1 – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko congratulated the citizens of Ukraine on the occasion of New Year in Crimean Tatar, Russian and Ukrainian languages.

January 1 – A half-year presidency of Serbia in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) starts on January 1st, 2015. Serbia often acts as Russian ally.

January 1 – The militants shelled Ukrainian military with artillery weapons twice near the town of Debaltseve; they used mortars in Granitne village and mortars, grenade launcher and multiple rocket launcher "Grad" near Chornukhine village, – informs ATO press center.

January 1 – National Television and Radio Council must immediately consider a license withdrawal for "Inter" TV channel as the one leading an information war against Ukraine siding with Russian Federation, – said the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov. "On New Year's Eve, when the nation stood united, "Inter" TV channel" traditionally acted against Ukraine by broadcasting the people who abused our country, supported terrorists, and welcomed the invasion of Crimea and Donbas", – Turchynov said.

January 1 – Almost 82% of people in Ukraine do not recognize the legitimacy of "People's Republic of Donetsk", neither do 55% Donbas residents. These are the results of public opinion poll conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology on December 4-19, 2014.

By Jim Yardley and Jo Becker

How Putin Forged a Pipeline Deal That Derailed

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March 8 – 1 Ukrainian military was killed and 3 were injured in the last 24 hours in the ATO area, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

March 8 – Official Kyiv is ready to communicate with the representatives of Donbas – with those, who will be elected as a result of legitimate elections, but not with the warlords, – said Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vadym Prystayko: "At this point in time, there is a need to unite Ukraine, which is torn to pieces by our neighbours and thus we are ready to meet the needs and take into account the opinions of local people in these regions. But we cannot and will not talk to the warlords".

March 8 – During the night of March 8th, the intensity of provocative attacks by the militants decreased, but they violated "silence regime" 6 times, – informs ATO's press-centre. The enemy is using aerial reconnaissance – over the last 24 hours air defence forces have recorded the activity of 6 remotely piloted aircraft.

March 8 – "Since the annexation, Putin's most important objective was to create a giant military base in Crimea, not a gambling zone, where in addition to the fleet, there is strategic aviation, air defence, space forces, coastal missiles and nuclear weapons", – writes a journalist and human rights activist Andriy Klimenko (Crimea). According to him approximately 100 thousand troops will start serving at the peninsula over the next two years and there "should not be any disloyal residents – e.g. Crimean Tatars, journalists, community activists – all those who do not want to receive Russian passports and want to keep Ukrainian one. This will continue, unfortunately".

March 8 – Armed Forces of Ukraine have completed the fourth stage of withdrawal of heavy weapons from the combat contact line in Donbas according to Minsk agreements, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko: "We have completed the fourth stage of withdrawal of heavy weapons from the contact line. Earlier we withdrew 100-mm anti-tank guns – "Rapira" and "Ruta", MLRS "Grad" and "Uragan".

March 8 – In Luhansk Region during the period of carrying on of fighting activities, during the shelling of residential areas, eight churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which do not belong to the Moscow Patriarchate, were harmed "Ruined churches with destroyed altars and icons – a visible affirmation of what kind of "Orthodox World" the Russians and their mercenaries in Donbas are fighting for," Head of the Luhansk Region State Administration. Henadiy Moskal.

March 8 – Russia poses a serious threat to the safety of Europe and the European Union should continue a decisive policy of counteraction in regards to Kremlin.

This is presented in the article of the Head of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Margot Valstrem, published in the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. "We saw how Russia, without any hesitation, sent advanced armed force units across the border in order to support the separatists, who with weapons attempted to fight with the Ukrainian forces and increase their control over the territory of Ukraine," notes the Minister.

DAVID FRANCIS: Washington's Mixed Messaging on Arming Ukraine Continues

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