Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, facing a return to fighting in East Ukraine after a seventh Russian convoy days ago refortified the Russians and pro-Russians fighting Ukraine in and around Donetsk, has stated that Ukraine is now ready for total war with the Russians.
“We are prepared for a scenario of total war, said Poroshenko in an interview Monday. “We don’t want war. We want peace and we are fighting for European values, but Russia does not respect any agreement.”
The Ukrainian army, Poroshenko said, was more ready than it was months ago when Russia first began its invasion of Ukraine.
“More than anything we want peace, but we must at the moment face up to the worst-case scenario,” said Poroshenko. “Our army is now in a better state than it was five months ago and we are being supported by the entire world.”
Despite the peace agreement between Russian and pro-Russian soldiers in East Ukraine and Ukrainian authorities, Russian military equipment, including aircraft, entered Ukrainian territory and airspace last Wednesday.
“Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air defence systems and Russian combat troops” were sighted, according to US Gen Philip Breedlove, commander of NATO.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an emergency meeting over Ukraine the same day. Besides representatives of the UNSC’s 15 members, the meeting will be attended by the permanent representative for Ukraine. The Russian delegate, however, did not attend the meeting.
Since the crisis in Ukraine began early this year, the UNSC has met over a dozen times to the purpose of addressing Ukraine, but little action has been taken, partially because every UNSC decision must be approved be all of the five permanent members of the council: China, France, UK, US and Russia, which invaded Ukraine in late Febuary and continues to fight against the Ukrainian army in an undeclared war.
The Sept. 5 Minsk Agreement ceasefire has been violated almost daily. Donetsk, the main city in Eastern Ukraine, has seen the heaviest shelling in recent weeks.
Fresh volleys of artillery were heard in many parts of Donetsk Monday, days after a seventh convoy of Russian humanitarian aid was delivered to Russian and pro-Russian fighters there, and the United Nations stated that it feared a “return to total war” in the area.
By James Haleavy
Photo: Anatoliy Stepanov