According to RFE/RL's news desk, the OSCE is not too happy with how its observer mission is faring in eastern Ukraine:
A top official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says the group's observer mission in eastern Ukraine faces "unacceptable restrictions" on its mandate to monitor the border with Russia.
Ilkka Kanerva, the president of the OSCE's parliamentary assembly, told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on November 13 that OSCE monitors are limited to reporting "only what it sees pass through the official crossing along the tiniest strip of the border."
OSCE monitors have reported seeing unmarked military convoys on the move in territory held by pro-Russian separatists in recent days, but have not identified their origin.
NATO's top commander said on November 12 that "multiple columns" of Russian tanks, artillery, and antiaircraft units had crossed from Russia into separatist-controlled territory over the previous two days -- an allegation denied by Moscow.
Kanerva asked: "If we are not permitted to do it right, the question is -- is it worth to do it at all?"
Just in from AFP:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to meet his German counterpart in Moscow next week for talks on the escalating conflict in Ukraine, Moscow said Thursday.
"On November 18 we are expecting a visit from German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier," Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a televised briefing.
"The exchange of opinions on the situation in Ukraine will be continued," Lukashevich said.
Steinmeier warned on Wednesday that there were signs that pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine were preparing for major clashes with troops loyal to the pro-Western government.
He has called on Russia to respect "the unity of Ukraine."
From Reuters:
Russia said on Thursday it was doing everything possible to prevent hostilities between Ukrainian forces and separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Interfax news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich as saying Kiev was failing to fulfil its obligations under the agreement underpinning a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, and said he had denied Moscow had sent in troops to back the rebels.
Poroshenko makes November 21 a national holiday, our news desk reports:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced new official holidays to mark two crucial days in a year of upheaval.
The president's website says November 21 has been declared the Day of Dignity and Freedom, while January 22 will mark the Day of Unity.
On November 21, 2013, former President Viktor Yanukovych announced Ukraine would not sign an association agreement with the European Union and would instead seek better economic ties with Russia.
That touched off the "EuroMaidan" protests that led to the fall of Yanukovych and his government three months later.
Poroshenko's website said the November 21 holiday will also commemorate the 2004 "Orange Revolution."
On January 22, 2014, the first anti-Yanukovych protesters were shot dead during clashes with the police.
Russia annexed Crimea in March and more than 4,000 people have been killed in a conflict between government forces and pro-Russian separatist in eastern Ukarine.
Is even Belarus considering its options?
Ukraine's pro-Russian separatists say they want to reconvene Minsk cease-fire talks, Interfax reports:
Denis Pushilin, a representative of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) at negotiations of the trilateral contact group in Minsk, has called for the soonest possible resumption of the talks on settling the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
"We insist on convening the Minsk group immediately, inviting representatives of the OSCE, Ukraine, and Russia," Pushilin said in a statement posted on the DPR government and People's Council website on Thursday.
"Representatives of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics are ready to travel to Minsk and start work within a few days," Pushilin said, pointing out that both self-proclaimed republics earlier authorized their permanent representatives at the talks, "whose position will have a mandatory effect."
Pushilin said he was sure that attempts to settle the conflict without the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics (DPR and LPR) cannot improve the situation. "I am saying responsibly that any attempts to settle the conflict without participation of the republics would be inefficient and would inevitably drive the negotiating process into a deadlock. I also reaffirm our commitment to the Minsk format involving Russia, the OSCE, the DPR and the LPR, and also Ukraine," Pushilin said.
"The republic heads have signed legal acts on appointing the republic permanent representatives. All decisions to be signed by these representatives will have a mandatory effect and will have to be complied with by all of the republics' civilian government bodies and armed forces," he said.
Really just posting for the picture. Under the caption "The Russians, in addition to Putin still trust the army and the church":