Ukraine's Poroshenko pleads for national unity:
By RFE/RL
KYIV -- President Petro Poroshenko has urged Ukrainians to mend their differences, saying in an annual address that only unity can keep the country from descending into chaos in the face of what he called a persistent Russian military threat.
"At a time when Russia's aggression against Ukraine is still ongoing, when the military threat from the east is the most difficult strategic challenge, the issue of national unity and political consolidation is a matter of life and death for our country," Poroshenko said in the televised speech to parliament on September 6, the opening day of its new session.
"The parliament is made up of the ruling faction and the opposition. This is an inviolable and important feature of democracy," he told the Verkhovna Rada.
"But sometimes there are moments when you want to forget for a moment if you're right or left, liberal or conservative, a Ukrainian or Russian speaker."
Ukraine has been riven by war in the east, where Russia-backed separatists seized parts of two regions after the Euromaidan protests brought down Moscow-aligned President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.
Unity has also been undermined by disputes over legislation on language and communist symbols.
More from Ukraine military spokesman:
Ukraine's Poroshenko says tougher to secure Western support:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says it has become increasingly difficult for Ukraine to secure Western support in its fight against "Russian aggression."
Speaking in Kyiv on September 6, Poroshenko said Europe's internal strength was being tested by external issues such as the migration crisis and militant attacks, and warned that elections in 2017 could see political forces more willing to compromise with the Kremlin take power.
"Ukraine will continue to need strong international support in the fight against Russian aggression," and a full-scale invasion from Russia cannot be ruled out, he said at the opening of the September parliament session. (Reuters)