Unrest in Ukraine: Obama calls Putin ahead of tomorrow’s peace talks

President Barack Obama called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss escalating violence in eastern Ukraine, urging Putin to agree to a peace deal, the White House said. Fighting in the region killed 12 people and wounded 64 others ahead of much-anticipated peace talks planned for Wednesday in Minsk involving the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the talks were “one of the last” opportunities for ending the fighting. ”President Obama underscored the rising human toll of the fighting and underscored the importance of President Putin seizing the opportunity presented by the ongoing discussions between Russia, France, Germany, and Ukraine to reach a peaceful resolution,” the White House said.

If Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by sending troops, weapons, and financing to support the separatists, the costs for Russia will rise.

White House statement

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of fueling the rebellion with troops and weapons. Moscow denies the charge but the sheer number of sophisticated heavy weapons in the rebel hands belies the denial. The mounting death toll comes amid renewed efforts to work out a peaceful solution in a conflict that has displaced at least one-million people and left the Ukrainian economy in ruins. Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, rebels and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe met Tuesday to lay the groundwork for Wednesday’s summit in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. ”Tomorrow’s meeting in Minsk offers one of the last chances to declare an unconditional cease-fire and pull back heavy artillery,” Poroshenko said Tuesday.

We are going to Minsk with the firm will to succeed, without being certain that we can do so.

French President Francois Hollande

Politics Obama Putin