Ukraine: The World's Hopes for Peace in Eastern Ukraine Have Been Destroyed

On Tuesday, February 17, following an assault by Russian-backed rebels on the city of Debaltseve with automatic weapons and mortars, Ukraine accused the militants and Moscow of destroying the Minsk peace plan. Valery Chaly, the head of the Ukrainian presidency, stated at a press conference, "The world's hopes for peace have been shattered." According to AFP, he warned that the situation in eastern Ukraine is deteriorating, stating that "Russia and the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic are not adhering to the agreement for a ceasefire." This Ukrainian official called on the European Union and NATO to condemn the Russian-backed separatists for violating the ceasefire. This request from the Ukrainian government came after separatists seized the transport network of Debaltseve. The head of the Ukrainian presidential office said Kyiv wants the EU and NATO to firmly condemn the separatists for violating the ceasefire that was signed with the support of European governments. According to the United Nations, the war in eastern Ukraine has left over 5,600 dead and more than one million homeless, turning the industrial heart of the country into ruins. Under one of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement, rebels and Ukrainian forces were supposed to withdraw their heavy weapons from the front line by Tuesday, February 17. Vladimir Kononov, one of the separatist commanders, told Russian television that most of Debaltseve is under their control and called on Ukrainian government forces to surrender. He stated, "Their only option is to leave their weapons, lay down their arms, and surrender." Ukrainian officials have not yet reacted to this matter. This stance from the rebels came after heavy exchanges of fire in Debaltseve, which is now under siege by them. Both sides claim that according to the demarcation established in the ceasefire agreement, Debaltseve falls within their controlled area. Disagreements over this issue did not reach a resolution during last week's ceasefire negotiations involving France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia. The rebels announced that they would soon begin the withdrawal of heavy weapons from parts of the front line. Edward Basurin, one of the military commanders of the rebels, stated in a brief television interview, "We are taking the first step and starting the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line." However, he did not specify a timeline for this action. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government emphasizes the need to adhere to the ceasefire before the withdrawal of heavy weapons. Associated Press journalists on Tuesday, February 17, witnessed several rounds of heavy fire by government forces targeting rebel positions around Debaltseve. The sound of heavy weaponry, including Grad missiles, was heard throughout the morning. Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian government forces, told reporters on Tuesday that the separatists continued to shell government positions in Debaltseve overnight. He added that in the past 24 hours, five government troops were killed and nine others wounded. The ceasefire agreement was established last week with the support of European countries and was implemented on Sunday. According to one of its clauses, the withdrawal of heavy weapons should occur from the second day after the cessation of hostilities. Andriy Lysenko stated that this condition has not yet been fulfilled. In recent weeks, fighting had decreased in some areas of eastern Ukraine. Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Tuesday at a press conference in Geneva that the UN is concerned about the continued shelling and has not yet been able to obtain reliable information on casualty figures and the situation of civilians. He added, "It is still unclear how many civilians are in those areas. We are particularly concerned about civilians who may be trapped in this situation. We believe that there may be several thousand people sheltering underground and facing problems with food, water, and other basic necessities." In other areas of eastern Ukraine, at least one of the rebel leaders stated that their forces have begun withdrawing heavy weapons. The Russian news agency TASS quoted Igor Plotnitsky, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic in northeastern Debaltseve, saying, "I was at the front last night; our tanks and artillery are retreating." He added that he expects the Ukrainian government to take similar action. Verification of the rebels' claims is not possible due to security restrictions in the area. However, Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian government forces, stated that they have not seen such movements or activities. The rebels are set to discuss the withdrawal of heavy weapons with representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as the monitoring group for the ceasefire implementation. Angela Merkel's office, the Chancellor of Germany, stated that the leaders of Germany, Russia, and Ukraine agreed on "specific measures to implement the activities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as the monitoring group" in Debaltseve. However, no specific details of these measures were mentioned.