I/II. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/11/us-russia-find-common-ground-ukraine-201411816486962861.html
US and Russia find common ground on Ukraine Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry agree at talks in Beijing to exchange information about situation on Russia-Ukraine border. Last updated: 08 Nov 2014 20:00 Lavrov and Kerry said their nations will exchange information about movements on the Russia-Ukraine border [AP] Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has welcomed US involvement in resolving the Ukraine crisis, saying it would be a "step in the right direction," in comments that appear to reflect a toning down in bilateral tension that has been at its worst since the end of the Cold War. Lavrov's remarks came after a meeting in Beijing with John Kerry, his US counterpart, and precede high-level meetings scheduled to take place between President Vladimir Putin and world leaders at an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in China, and a Group of 20 summit in Australia, next week. "Our positions on what is happening in Ukraine do not correspond with the United States, but if Washington is interested in contributing to the reconciliation of the situation and creating dialogue between Kiev and the rebel leadership... I think that would be a step in the right direction," the Russian foreign minister said in comments shown on state television. Kerry said his country had agreed with Moscow on exchanging information about the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukraine's military accused Russia on Friday of sending a column of 32 tanks and truckloads of troops into the country's east to support pro-Russian separatists fighting government forces. Moscow rejects claims by Ukraine and the West that it is arming the pro-Kremlin separatists, who are seeking secession from the former Soviet country. Sanctions Kerry's comment to reporters in Beijing on Saturday seemed to suggest new Western sanctions against Russia are not imminent. "The choices Russia makes will decide what happens with respect to sanctions in the long run here," Kerry said, adding he hoped a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine would remain viable. Asked whether Moscow was sending tanks and troops to help the separatists, Lavrov gave no clear answer, noting that the US government on Friday said that it was aware of the reports, but could not independently confirm them. "Even [US spokeswoman] Jen Psaki said that the State Department doesn't have the information about this," he said. "Well, if Psaki doesn't have it, I don't." "The ceasefire has been signed between the rebels and the government" in Kiev, Lavrov said. "It's for them to finalise the disengagement line which they are doing right now." No talks are scheduled at the APEC summit between Putin and US President Barack Obama though Washington and the Kremlin have not ruled out an informal conversation on the summit sidelines. Source: Agencies II. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29975341 9 November 2014 Last updated at 07:27 Ukraine crisis: Heavy bombardment in rebel-held Donetsk Unmarked military vehicles near Snizhne in eastern Ukraine - 8 November Unmarked military vehicles were spotted in a rebel area on Saturday There has been intense artillery bombardment overnight in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. The BBC's Daryna Mayer in the city said the shelling was the worst in more than a month, lasting almost eight hours. She said it appeared to be coming from both rebel and government positions. The fighting comes a day after monitors saw large numbers of unmarked military vehicles in rebel-held areas. Ukraine says it believes the rebels have received equipment from Russia. Moscow denies this, although in the past it has said that Russian soldiers on leave were fighting among the rebels. More than 4,000 people have died since fighting erupted in April after pro-Russian separatists seized control in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since 5 September, although hundreds of people have been killed since then. 'Resurgence of violence' Our correspondent says the shelling in Donetsk started four days ago, just after elections in rebel areas, but the latest round was extremely intense. There is presently a lull in the fighting. No casualties have been reported so far. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said its observers had seen a column of vehicles and heavy guns in rebel-held areas around Donetsk. "More than 40 trucks and tankers" were seen on a road east of Makiivka, the monitors said, adding that 19 were large vehicles towing howitzer artillery systems and "containing personnel with dark green uniforms without insignia". Map Nine tanks were also seen south-west of the centre of Donetsk. Later OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter said he was "very concerned about a resurgence of violence in the eastern regions of Ukraine". Fears of a return to full-scale conflict were raised after the separatists held elections on Sunday in defiance of Ukraine's government and Western countries. Russia has recognised the vote which led to separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko, 38, being sworn in as head of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic. Igor Plotnitsky, a 50-year-old ex-Soviet army officer, was declared head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, further to the east. President Petro Poroshenko has accused the rebels of tearing up the peace deal and said that a law granting the rebel-held regions partial autonomy would be scrapped. He has ordered reinforcements to key cities in case of a rebel offensive. But the separatists hit back on Wednesday, arguing that it was the scrapping of the special status deal that broke the peace agreement. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
