Kiev Renounces Minsk Ceasefire

by Stephen Lendman

Minsk is dead. Kiev forces commit dozens of daily ceasefire violations. It breached virtually all agreed on terms - in most cases straightaway.

In the last 24 hours alone, it committed 58 violations. The People's Republic of Donetsk's (DPR) Defense Ministry said "shelling include(d) use of heavy weapons." Kiev forces used artillery, tanks and mortars.

Areas targeted included Donetsk, its airport (already turned to rubble) and coal mines, Gorlovka and Dokuchayevsk, as well as the following settlements:

Kurganka, Veseloye, Shirokino, Lozovoye, Spartak, Novaya Maryevka, Zheleznaya Balka, Yelenovka, Signalnoye and Sakhanka

On Thursday, Sergey Lavrov said Minsk is "under the constant threat of failure due to the actions of Kiev authorities who are trying not to comply with commitments on establishing a direct dialogue with Donbas."

"(T)he policy towards subordination of the fates of entire nations to unilateral geopolitical plots has led to a severe internal crisis in Ukraine."

On Wednesday, DPR Defense Minister Vladimir Kononov said Kiev forces fired on Donetsk's militia along the entire contact line - blatantly violating Minsk.

Konovov accused Kiev of willfully "disrupt(ing) Minsk II." Defense Ministry spokesman Eduard Basurin said orders to attack Donbass cities and surrounding areas came directly from the Ukrainian Armed Forces command.

Ukrainian state media reported its armed forces used artillery. Poroshenko vowed to maintain illegal blockade on Donbass until Kiev controls its borders and makes its territory "an integral part of Ukraine."

Basurin said Wednesday attacks killed 14 DPR fighters and wounded 86 others. He warned against Kiev aggression leading to resumed full-scale war.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Ukraine for multiple Minsk breaches, saying:

"The violations are obvious and (Foreign) Minister Lavrov has already said that the representatives of the OSCE are to draw corresponding conclusions and to clearly identify who is responsible for these violations."

Clearly, Kiev willfully and provocatively continues violating Minsk. "Donbas is being shelled," Peskov stressed. "Self-defense forces (aren't) shell(ing) their own territory."

"These provocative actions are organized by Ukraine's military forces and we are concerned with that."

Peskov believes the timing of increased Kiev aggression isn't coincidental. An EU Brussels summit is scheduled for June 25 and 26.

Extending sanctions on Russia until January 2016 will be discussed. A G-7 summit is scheduled for June 7 and 8 in Germany.

Last year, G-7 leaders refused to participate in the Sochi G-8 summit after Crimea legally reunited with Russia.

In April, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said G-7 nations aren't ready to welcome Russia back to join them.

Washington repeatedly turns a blind eye to clear Kiev war crimes - including blatant ceasefire violations.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf outrageously blames Donbass victims for Kiev crimes committed against them.

She lied claiming information Washington gets indicates "Russian-separatist combined forces" are involved in the "vast majority" of incidents.

Truth is polar opposite. Daily State Department press briefings are an exercise in state propaganda.

Kiev's dirty war continues. Whether it's heading toward resuming full-blown remains to be seen.

Expect it. Previous articles explained Obama didn't wage war on Ukraine to quit - or Syria and Yemen, as well as continued aggression on Afghanistan and Iraq besides partnering with Israeli high crimes against Palestine.

Renewed war on Libya awaits. Destabilizing Venezuela and other independent countries continues. So does waging war on world football to deny Russia's awarded right to be 2018 World Cup host nation.

America's war on humanity stops at nothing to achieve its objectives. Hegemons operate this way. Will Washington launch global war next?

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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