Ukraine Fills Top Defense Posts
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has appointed new officials to defense posts, as European officials press for talks aimed at resuming a cease-fire between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists, reports VOA
The Ukrainian government announced Thursday that Valery Heletey has been named Ukraine’s new defense minister, while Viktor Muzhenko has been named chief of the military’s general staff.
On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany met in Berlin and agreed that talks aimed at resuming a cease-fire between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian rebels should begin no later than Saturday.
The diplomats announced their consensus in a statement as fighting raged near the Russian border. They said the preliminary talks will aim to establish an “unconditional and mutually agreed sustainable cease-fire” monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Ukraine’s President Poroshenko declared a unilateral, week-long cease-fire June 20 and then extended it by three days. Citing lack of cooperation from rebels, he refused a second extension and ordered new military operations on Tuesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after the Berlin meeting, condemned the Ukraine leader’s decision to end the unilateral cease-fire. He said that decision cost lives in eastern Ukraine and the “serious destruction of civilian infrastructure.”
But he also vowed that Moscow would use its influence with separatist leaders to bring about a bilateral truce.
As fighting intensified Wednesday, Ukrainian defense officials said at least five servicemen had been killed and 21 wounded over the previous 24 hours, and that “hundreds” of rebel fighters had been killed since fighting resumed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin — speaking hours after military operations resumed Tuesday — repeated his commitment to protect Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine, “using the entire range of available means.”
The United States and its European allies accuse Russia of arming the separatists in eastern Ukraine, and have demanded that the Kremlin stop the cross-border flow of fighters and military hardware into eastern Ukraine.
