| Series Title | EurActiv |
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| Series Details | 01.07.14 |
| Publication Date | 01/07/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on the 1 July 2014 government forces would renew offensive operations against rebels and 'free our lands', hours after a ceasefire to allow for peace talks with the pro-Russian separatists had expired. Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised Mr Poroshenko for ignoring German and France leaders' call to abide by a ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine. Mr Putin stated that his Ukrainian counterpart would now have to bear full responsibility for veering off the road to peace. The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine agreed in Berlin on the 2 July 2014 to hold three-way talks involving pro-Moscow rebels, in order to pave the way for a new ceasefire, despite continued fighting that Kyiv said had already killed 200 of its troops. However, the new Ukrainian Defence Minister Valeriy Heletey promised that the army would retake Crimea, restoring the country's territorial integrity. On the 5 July 2014 Ukrainian government forces retook some of the rebels' main strongholds including the city of Sloviansk. However, the rebels still held the rebels still held the regional capitals of Donetsk and Luhansk and other key areas. News sources reported that on the 7 July 2014 three bridges were destroyed on roads leading into the city of Donetsk, allegedly by rebel forces, ahead of an expected offensive from government forces. On the 8 July 2014 Ukraine's defence ministry said it would not negotiate a new ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists until the rebels had laid down their arms. |
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| Source Link | http://www.euractiv.com/sections/europes-east/poroshenko-orders-assault-separatists-303188 |
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| Countries / Regions | Ukraine |
