Leader of Ukrainian Separatists: We Will Not Negotiate

Alexander Zakharchenko, one of the most prominent leaders of the Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, has stated that they will not participate in peace negotiations, which efforts have been made to resume. He also threatened that the separatists 'will continue to fight until they reach the borders of Donetsk.' The Russian newspaper 'Moscow Komsomolets' reported on February 22 that Zakharchenko said, 'We are not making any efforts to negotiate (with the central government of Ukraine). We are waiting to see how Kyiv reacts.' With renewed tensions and intensifying clashes, over 260 people have lost their lives in battles in eastern Ukraine in less than two weeks. He mentioned that the separatists will only discuss 'prisoner exchanges' with the central government of Ukraine. Just a day before these statements, the Ukrainian army announced that it had retreated from Donetsk airport after several days of intense fighting. Thus, control of this strategic point, which reports and aerial images show remains in ruins, has fallen into the hands of Russian-backed militants. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko recently accused Russia of sending thousands of troops and armored vehicles to Ukraine, which Moscow has denied. Poroshenko stated on February 22 that the attacks by the separatists have become ten times more intense than before. The separatist leader has now threatened that they can target government forces from three sides. The separatists have managed to take control of Donetsk airport. The President of Russia, Ukraine's eastern neighbor, who is accused by Kyiv and Western countries of supporting the separatists, accused Ukrainian leaders on Friday of ordering a large-scale operation in Donbas. Donbas is a common geographical and cultural term that encompasses areas in eastern Ukraine. With renewed tensions and intensifying clashes, over 260 people have lost their lives in battles in eastern Ukraine in less than two weeks. According to the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 5,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.