Ukraine's
president pushed for both a quick cease-fire in his country's troubled
east and defensive weapons from the West, as mediators sought momentum
Saturday for a deal to stem the fighting at Europe's edge.
Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin are to confer with the leaders of Germany and France by phone Sunday in an effort to overcome months of setbacks and suspicion and breathe new life into a much-violated September peace plan. But even those who had scheduled the call were cautious about its prospects.
The
resurgent fighting has prompted the U.S. to consider giving lethal
weapons to Ukraine, an option opposed by European nations which fear the
move would merely exacerbate the situation.
Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin are to confer with the leaders of Germany and France by phone Sunday in an effort to overcome months of setbacks and suspicion and breathe new life into a much-violated September peace plan. But even those who had scheduled the call were cautious about its prospects.
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel — who along with French President Francois
Hollande traveled to Kiev on Thursday and Moscow on Friday —
acknowledged disillusionment over the failure of previous agreements to
stick and said "there are no theoretical guarantees" that a new one
would either.
Western
anxiety over the conflict is growing and sanctions are taking a toll on
Russia's economy. More than 5,300 people have been killed since
fighting began in April, according to a U.N. tally, and the bloodshed
has markedly increased over the past two weeks.
"I
cannot imagine any situation in which improved equipment for the
Ukrainian army leads to President Putin being so impressed that he
believes he will lose militarily," Merkel said at the Munich Security
Conference. "I have to put it that bluntly."
No comments:
Post a Comment