Ukraine Fighting Surges as Russian-Backed Forces Gain
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called today for the parliament in Kiev to begin an immediate debate on possible NATO membership for the country. The United Nations raised its death toll estimate for the conflict to almost 2,600.
“Putin’s decided he can pretty risklessly consolidate the separatists’ territory by openly sending in his own troops,” Jan Techau, director of the Brussels office of the Carnegie Endowment, said in a phone interview. “His goal is creating a statelet he can turn into a frozen conflict.”
Standoff in Ukraine
President Barack Obama said Russia faces “more costs and consequences” because it “has deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Ukraine. Obama ruled out “a military solution to this problem.” The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in the unrest.
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