Poroshenko Confirms Deescalation In Progress
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in a television interview that the deescalation process in the eastern part of his country is taking hold.
Appearing on the 1+1 television channel on March 13, Poroshenko said, "We have not had military losses for several days…this is a clear indication of a gradual deescalation."
Poroshenko's comments came one month after a new truce deal was agreed to in Minsk by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, calling on Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine to cease fire and withdraw heavy weapons from the line of conflict.
Despite Poroshenko's remarks on deescalation, Ukrainian news agency UNIAN reported government forces said they came under shelling near the village of Peski and Avdeevka, near the separatist-held Donetsk region.
UNIAN also reported Ukrainian forces near Mariupol were attacked by "Russian terrorist groups" near the town of Shirokino.
Russian news agencies reported the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) of the separatists claimed Ukrainian forces were shelling DNR forces near Shirokino.
Barring any major development, that ends the live blogging for today.
It seems goods are now being priced in rubles in Donetsk:
Here's an item from RFE/RL's news desk:
Energy independence is high on the agenda of a conference in Vienna today that brings together members of the European Parliament and senior European Union officials.
The conference is examining how the conflict in Ukraine, and threats by Russia's state-run Gazprom to cut off gas shipments passing through Ukraine, are affecting the EU's relations with its eastern neighbors.
Johannes Hahn, the EU Commissioner on Neighborhood Policy, was due to speak about the importance of energy issues in the EU's policy toward its eastern neighbors.
That workshop has been titled "After Nabucco and South Stream -- the region needs a fresh start”" -- a reference to troubled pipeline proposals meant to link Central and Eastern Europe's natural gas markets with Russia and the Caspian Sea region.
Delegates are also discussing how energy efficiency and renewable energy resources can lessen the EU's dependence on Russian gas.