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Casualties Reported as Ukraine Seeks a Cease-Fire As Ukraine Announces Cease-Fire, White House Points Finger at Russia
(about 4 hours later)
DONETSK, Ukraine — Reports of more casualties from armed clashes in southeastern Ukraine emerged on Friday, even as President Petro O. Poroshenko conferred with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia about final adjustments to a peace plan that many hope could end the hostilities. WASHINGTON — On a day that the Ukrainian government announced a unilateral cease-fire in its battle with separatists in the country’s east, the Obama administration raised the stakes with Russia, accusing the Kremlin of continuing to covertly arm the rebels.
Skirmishes for control of Krasny Liman, a railroad hub north of Donetsk, stretched into a second day. The Ukrainian military deployed both air and artillery strikes to oust pro-Russian separatist fighters, said Vladislav Seleznyov, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry. A spokesman for the Ukrainian military, Vladislav Seleznyov, said the cease-fire would begin at 10 p.m. local time. Ukraine’s new president, Petro O. Poroshenko, has stressed that the plan hinges on the sealing of the porous border with Russia, to prevent the flow of fighters and arms.
Mr. Seleznyov said seven government troops had been killed and 30 injured since fighting over a conduit road into the town began Thursday morning. He also said 300 rebel fighters had died in the fighting since Thursday, a figure that could not be independently verified. Mr. Seleznyov said the number was a “hard number,” not propaganda. There was no immediate reaction from separatist leaders, but in recent days they have reacted skeptically to the idea of a cease-fire, and many have already said they have no intention of putting down their weapons.
But that figure was far higher than those provided Thursday night by rebel forces, which said their number of dead and injured was in the single digits. The halt in military operations is part of a broader peace plan that Mr. Poroshenko has been developing in recent weeks, in consultation with Russia and Western leaders.
There is much riding on the peace plan, which Mr. Poroshenko and Mr. Putin discussed in a late-night phone call for a second time this week, according to statements from the Kremlin and the Ukrainian president’s office. In Washington, however, American officials accused Russia of working to undermine the prospects for peace even as President Vladimir V. Putin consulted with Mr. Poroshenko virtually daily on his peace proposal. President Obama warned Mr. Putin earlier this month that the West would impose “additional costs” on Russia if its provocations were to continue.
Mr. Putin said Ukraine had to “immediately end” military operations in the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the Kremlin statement said. He also told Mr. Poroshenko that the plan should make a priority of resolving the issues that led to the uprising in southeastern Ukraine, according to the statement. “We have information that Russia has redeployed significant military forces to its border with Ukraine,” a senior Obama administration officials told reporters on Friday. “Russian Special Forces are also maintaining points along the Ukrainian border to provide support to separatist fighters.”
Russia denied Western accusations that it was again deploying its army along the Ukrainian border, although some Western diplomats had said the withdrawal announced several weeks ago was never as extensive as Moscow claimed in the first place. The State Department reported last week that three aging, Russian T-64 tanks had been sent to Ukraine, and Ukrainian officials recently told Western officials that 10 more Russian tanks have been provided to Ukrainian separatists. Adding to Western concerns, the senior Obama administration official said, artillery has been moved to a deployment site inside southwest Russia and may soon be shipped across the border.
But two senior advisers to Mr. Putin said Friday that reinforcements were being added to the border patrols because of the instability in Ukraine, but that it was not a military deployment. American officials said Russia was providing older weapons that its forces have phased out but that are known to remain in the Ukrainian military’s inventory.
“Given the situation in the east, the tightening of Russian border security requires certain measures,” Dmitri Peskov, Mr. Putin’s spokesman, told the Rossiya 24 cable news channel. “The armed forces are being called in.” “The desire here is to mask the Russian hand” by allowing Ukrainian separatists to claim the weapons were captured on the battlefield, the administration official said. The official asked not to be identified by name, in line with the Obama administration’s protocol for briefing reporters.
Yuri Ushakov, another presidential aide, confirmed to Russian reporters that border security was being enhanced, but said it was not a military deployment. Mr. Putin appears to be calculating that he can continue to provide military support to the separatists without triggering tough economic reprisals as long as the Kremlin denies that it is involved and avoids obvious provocations, like sending conventional Russian military units into eastern Ukraine, American officials said.
In his statement, Mr. Poroshenko addressed the schedule for the plan, emphasizing that all hostages should be released and that effective control over the border must be restored. The separatists are believed to control eight crossing points. To date, the United States and European allies have imposed only limited sanctions, directed at Russian individuals or specific companies, in response to the Russian annexation of Crimea and allegations that it is linked to the violence in eastern Ukraine. The next stage would involve tougher sanctions against sectors of the Russian economy like finance, energy and defense industries.
On Friday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on seven Ukrainian separatists, including Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the onetime, self-proclaimed mayor of Slovyansk, and Denis Pushilin, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.
Before the cease-fire was announced, skirmishes for control of Krasny Liman, a railroad hub north of Donetsk, stretched into a second day. The Ukrainian military deployed both air and artillery strikes to oust pro-Russian separatist fighters, said Vladislav Seleznyov, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry.
Mr. Seleznyov said seven government soldiers had been killed and 30 injured since fighting over a conduit road into the town began Thursday morning. He also said 300 rebel fighters had died in the fighting since Thursday, a figure that could not be independently verified. Mr. Seleznyov said the number was a “hard number,” not propaganda. But that figure was far higher than those provided Thursday night by rebel forces, which said their number of dead and injured was in the single digits.
Mr. Poroshenko had said he would call a unilateral cease-fire when he was ready to announce what has been advertised as a 14-point plan. Details from the initial draft that have leaked in the Ukrainian news media so far include some measure of decentralization, new elections and a more robust border with Russia.
Earlier this week, Mr. Putin said Ukraine had to “immediately end” military operations in the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, a statement from his office said. He also told Mr. Poroshenko that the plan should make a priority of resolving the issues that led to the uprising in southeastern Ukraine, according to the statement.
Mr. Poroshenko, for his part, has emphasized that all hostages should be released and that effective control over the border must be restored. The separatists are believed to control eight crossing points.
In appealing for broader Russian backing for the overall plan, Mr. Poroshenko was specifically seeking support for a cease-fire. Mr. Putin had expressed support for “the efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation,” the Ukrainian statement said.In appealing for broader Russian backing for the overall plan, Mr. Poroshenko was specifically seeking support for a cease-fire. Mr. Putin had expressed support for “the efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation,” the Ukrainian statement said.
In addition to speaking with Mr. Putin, Mr. Poroshenko sought input Thursday from political figures in eastern Ukraine outside the separatist movement, whose leaders have already vowed to reject the plan. In addition to speaking with Mr. Putin, Mr. Poroshenko sought counsel Thursday from political figures in eastern Ukraine outside the separatist movement, whose leaders have already vowed to reject the plan.
Mr. Poroshenko has said he will call a unilateral cease-fire when he announces what has been advertised as a 14-point plan. Details from the initial draft that have leaked in the Ukrainian news media so far include some measure of decentralization, new elections and a more robust border with Russia. The fighting in Ukraine this week also prompted a phone call by Mr. Putin to Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and to President François Hollande of France to express his “grave concern” about Ukraine’s continuing military operations, the Kremlin press service said. The leaders also discussed the tensions caused by Russia’s decision this week to halt gas shipments to Ukraine over $4.5 billion in disputed
In Moscow, Mr. Putin also called a late-night meeting of his Security Council to discuss the violence in eastern Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. The council wants the violence in Ukraine to stop and the national dialogue to begin immediately, the Kremlin press service said. Russia has denied any role in directing the separatist violence but it has acknowledged that it has forces near Ukraine’s border.
The rising casualty toll in Krasny Liman provided a stark counterpoint to the peace plan, underscoring the likelihood of dire consequences should it fail to take hold. “Given the situation in the east, the tightening of Russian border security requires certain measures,” Dmitry Peskov, Mr. Putin’s spokesman, told the Rossiya 24 cable news channel. “The armed forces are being called in.”
The rebels are “holding fast” and have made several attempts to hold off the advance of Ukrainian government forces, Mr. Seleznyov said. He added that he was aware of the president’s peace plan but would not comment further, saying that he was only authorized to speak about “the ongoing antiterrorist operation.” Yuri Ushakov, another presidential aide, confirmed to Russian reporters that border security was being enhanced, but said it was not a military deployment.
The fighting also prompted a phone call by Mr. Putin to Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and to President François Hollande of France to express his “grave concern” about Ukraine’s continuing military operations, the Kremlin press service said. The leaders also discussed the tensions caused by Russia’s decision this week to halt gas shipments to Ukraine over $4.5 billion in disputed bills. The senior Obama administration official told reporters that some Russian forces near Ukraine had taken up positions that “are within a handful of kilometers of Ukrainian territory, the closest that they’ve been since the invasion of Crimea.”
The consultations among the three leaders are part of a pattern as Mr. Poroshenko hammers out his plan. The West has threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia if it does not act to lessen the violence in eastern Ukraine. “We also have information that additional forces are due to arrive in coming weeks,” the senior administration official added.
Russia has denied any role in directing the separatist violence. But the presence of Russian fighters and extensive war matériel in the region is seen in Ukraine and in the West as evidence of support from Moscow.
The peace plan will be a difficult balancing act. It must meet the demands of the constituency that elected Mr. Poroshenko, which is hostile to the east; the separatists there who want nothing to do with Kiev; and Moscow, which wants to maintain its influence over Ukraine.
The most important reaction will be Mr. Putin’s. Ever since protesters overthrew President Viktor F. Yanukovych, a Kremlin ally, in February, Moscow has been scrambling to find a way to preserve its sway in the region. Russia seized the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea in March.
The threats of an outright invasion in the rest of Ukraine have receded, if not evaporated, although Russia announced on Thursday a new round of military maneuvers in the region that includes much of the border with Ukraine.
Moscow seems prepared to wait and see whether the Poroshenko plan meets its main demands. Those include giving significant authority to the separatist regions and preserving the status of Russian as an official language there. Moscow also wants assurances that Ukraine will not align itself too closely to the European Union and will not join NATO.
Mr. Poroshenko, who has said repeatedly that he will sign an association agreement with Europe, is scheduled to formally approve the accord next Friday, along with Georgia and Moldova. Russia has said that it will respond by revising its trade agreements with Ukraine, imposing tariffs in an effort to keep out cheaper European goods.
It is widely believed that Ukraine will have to reach an accommodation with Moscow because its economic problems are even deeper than its recent political disarray, and Russia has long been its most important trading partner.