Oliver Carroll has just written an excellent piece for "Newsweek" on life for civilians in the Luhansk region:
The situation today is somewhat reminiscent of a scene from the Soviet comedy film Wedding in Malinovka, which was set in a Ukrainian village during the time of the Russian Civil War. With power alternating almost daily between red and Ukrainian nationalist forces, the villagers of Malinovka are never sure who is in charge, so they modify their behaviour and dress accordingly. The movie’s catchphrase is “the authorities are changing again”, and the characters’ habit of either donning or removing a budenovka partisan hat, could well be applied to any of the towns on the frontlines today.
Rubezh, a commander in Aidar volunteer battalion, a controversial anarchic pro-Ukrainian military formation based nearby in Starobilsk, says it is only a matter of time before all of the flags disappeared: “The current boundaries don’t suit the other side, and they are waiting the other side of the Donets river, just waiting to take their chance and claim the entire Luhansk region. I think it would suit many of the locals if they did, no doubt. Not a majority, but if it came down to guerrilla warfare, the split might not be far off 50-50”. Everyone in Starobilsk is waiting for the Russians to arrive, he adds. “They all want their rouble pensions.”
Read the entire article here
Here's a pretty slick pro-Ukraine video that has just been tweeted by President Petro Poroshenko. It's in Ukrainian, but we doubt if a translation is necessary:
Here's a short wrap-up of the Putin-Poroshenko talks in Milan from RFE/RL's news desk:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says no practical results on resolving on a dispute over gas supplies from Russia have been achieved at bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Milan.
“We do have certain progress but some details are yet to be discussed," Poroshenko said after the 45-minute talks held behind closed doors on the sidelines of a Europe-Asia summit on October 17.
However, Putin said the sides agreed on the terms of gas supplies "at least for the winter period."
He also expressed hope Ukraine’s western partners would help the country overcome its cash deficit.
Russia has stopped gas deliveries to Ukraine and demands that Kyiv pays billions of dollars in arrears.
Poroshenko and Putin earlier held talks with the leaders of France and Germany, with no breakthrough reported on the Ukrainian crisis, amid continued fighting in the east between Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists.
(AFP, Reuters, TASS, Interfax)
!!! BREAKING NEWS !!!
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says no practical results on resolving on a dispute over gas supplies from Russia were achieved at bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Milan.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said said Russia and Ukraine have agreed on the terms of gas supplies during the winter period. (FP, Interfax, TASS, Reuters)