Ukraine Preparing Southern Cities For Possible Russian Attack
Petro Poroshenko, the president of Ukraine has recently ordered the Ukrainian army to dispatch reinforcements in key eastern cities that are under threat of rebel attacks. The President ordered extra men for the protection of Mariupol, Berdyansk and Kharkiv as well as the entire northern part of the Luhansk region.
The move comes after an unofficial poll undertaken in the Donetsk and Luhansk region showed an unusually strong pro-independence result. President Poroshenko said that he is still holding up his country’s part of the recently signed peace process with Russia, however, he has proposed the cancellation of some aspects in the plan in the wake of uninterrupted Russian backed rebel aggression.
The unrecognized election process held in the two regions saw the swearing in of the pro-Russian leaders this Tuesday. The Ukrainian president as well as a host of other politicians in the country condemned the elections declaring that they are putting the entire peace process at risk.
Alexander Zakharchenko was sworn in as president of the unrecognized Donetsk People’s Republic. Igor Plotnitsky was also sworn in as president of the Luhansk People’s Republic.
The EU foreign policy leader Federica Mogherini was also dismayed by the violation of the Minsk peace agreement signed between Ukraine, Russia, the pro-Russian rebels and the OSCE.
She added that such a move might close the window on peace talks as well as direct talks between Russia and Ukraine’s European partners.