BREAKING FROM AFP:
US says 3,000 troops to train in Baltic states
The latest from AFP:
Kiev, March 9, 2015 (AFP) -- Ukraine accused pro-Russian separatists Monday of using mortars and a tank to fire on government positions near the eastern port of Mariupol in clashes that lasted several hours, violating a nearly month old ceasefire.
The militants had fired on Ukraine's positions and were attempting to "force our contingents from Shyrokyne," a village about 10 kilometres east of Mariupol on the Azov Sea coast, the headquarters of the army's operations in the east said in a Facebook post.
Mariupol, a steel-making city of 500,000, is the biggest urban centre in the conflict zone still controlled by Kiev. The frontline runs through Shyrokyne.
"Starting at 10:00 am (0800 GMT), the militants began to brazenly violate the Minsk accords, firing from 120-millimetre mortars and a tank at Ukrainian forces," said Oleg Sushinsky, a military spokesman in Mariupol, referring to the ceasefire signed in the Belarussian capital Minsk.
Four Ukrainian soldiers were wounded, he told AFP.
It was impossible to immediately verify his claims.
Use of heavy weapons would violate the February 12 Minsk deal, under which both sides were supposed to withdraw mortars, rockets and other large calibre arms from the frontlines to end fighting that has killed at least 6,000 people.
U.S. military unit headed to Baltics for training mission
WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - About 750 U.S. Army tanks, fighting vehicles and other pieces of military equipment arrived in Latvia on Monday as a part of a training mission to reassure NATO allies worried about potential Russian aggression due to the Ukraine crisis, the Pentagon said.
Some 3,000 members of a 3rd Infantry Division brigade combat team will begin flowing into the region next week as part of a 90-day deployment to participate in multinational training missions with NATO partners in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the department said.
Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said the unit would take over responsibility for the land forces training mission from the U.S. Army-Europe's 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which will depart later in March.
Warren said the rotation was part of the U.S. military's Operation Atlantic Resolve, aimed at demonstrating commitment to NATO allies in light of Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
He said the equipment, which arrived in Riga, Latvia, by ship, was part of a regular armored brigade combat team set, including two battalions of tanks, two battalions of fighting vehicles, artillery, helicopters and other equipment.
Current plans call for the tanks, fighting vehicles and other heavy rolling stock now arriving in Latvia to remain in Europe after the 3rd Infantry Division brigade departs in 90 days, a U.S. military official said later.
U.S. military officials have said they planned to preposition equipment in Europe this year for a full brigade combat team so troops rotating to the region do not always have to ship over their equipment. It is not yet clear where in Europe the equipment will be permanently based.
Russia's support of anti-government rebels in Ukraine has raised concerns across the region about whether Moscow might make similar moves against other countries in eastern Europe.
Just coming in from Reuters:
EU'S TUSK SAYS EU, U.S. ARE UNITED IN DETERMINATION TO MAINTAIN SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA
EU'S TUSK SAYS IMPORTANT FOR EU, US TO STAY UNITED ON UKRAINE CRISIS
OBAMA SAYS NEED TO MAKE SURE U.S. AND EUROPE WORK TO MAKE SURE EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF MINSK AGREEMENT ON UKRAINE
Just in from AP:
Obama, European Council president meet on Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and European Council President Donald Tusk are holding an Oval Office meeting to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
In brief remarks ahead of their talks, Obama says trans-Atlantic unity is as strong as it has ever been. He singled out the U.S. and Europe's united stance on the economic sanctions that have been levied on Ukraine.
Tusk says Russia is trying to divide the West. The U.S. and Europe have warned Russia that the West could levy additional sanctions if Moscow continues to support a rebellion in eastern Ukraine.
Obama and Tusk also plan to discuss the status of a potential trade agreement between the U.S. and Europe.
Just in from AFP and Reuters:
Ukraine president says 64 soldiers killed since Feb 15 ceasefire
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Ukraine's Poroshenko says rebels have withdrawn significant amount of heavy weapons
KIEV, March 9 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday pro-Russian rebels had withdrawn a significant amount of weaponry from the front-lines in eastern Ukraine in accordance with a three-week-old ceasefire deal.
"There is a ceasefire, or there isn't. It depends on how you look at it. You can say that we managed to halt the offensive drive off the aggressor. Ukraine has withdrawn the lion's share of its rocket and heavy artillery systems. The Russian-backed fighters have also withdrawn a significant amount," Poroshenko said in a televised interview.
That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Monday, March 9, 2015. Please check back here tomorrow morning for our continuing coverage.
From dpa:
US President Barack Obama and European Council President Donald Tusk Monday called for unity on Ukraine and discussed Europe's security challenges, including terrorism.
Obama saluted German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande for their work in establishing the Minsk cease-fire process.
"But we also know from experiences over the last year that unless we have strong monitoring and strong implementation, that these agreements will be meaningless," Obama said at the Oval Office meeting.
The EU and U.S. have moved hand in hand on sanctions against Moscow for its intervention in Ukraine, but Tusk said earlier in an interview with The New York Times that the European Union was not yet ready for a new round of tighter sanctions against Russia.