Kiev refuses to hold talks with opposition: Defense Minister
Iran Press TV
Tue Jul 8, 2014 2:44PM GMT
Ukraine's Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey says Kiev will not hold talks with pro-Russian forces in the east unless they "irrevocably lay down their arms."
On Tuesday, Heletey said another unilateral ceasefire with pro-Russian forces was also not in the cards.
Kiev has been placed under strong European pressure to establish direct talks with pro-Russian fighters on a possible ceasefire.
This is while Ukrainian troops have launched a series of military attacks against pro-Russians in the self-proclaimed eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko ordered the military on Sunday to carry out operations against pro-Moscow activists who continue to maintain control of cities in the east.
Earlier this month, Poroshenko refused to extend a 10-day ceasefire in the conflict zone, accusing the pro-Russians of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.
Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking parts have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations against the protesters in mid-April.
The violence intensified after Donetsk and Lugansk held local referendums on May 11, in which the residents of the two eastern regions voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine.
GMA/NN
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
