May. 15, 2014

Kiev Talks Open Without Rebels

Ukraine's political and civic leaders have held a first round of talks to end the crisis in the country , but separatists were not represented

Correspondents said talks were heated although there was consensus that Ukraine must remain a United State , the interim President siad Kiev was prepared to listen to rebels , but said they must first lay down their weapons

The meeting took place one day after Pro Russian militants attacked government forces , killing seven the seven soldiers were killed when rebels ambushed an armoured personnel carrier near the town of Kramatorsk in Donetsk region , one rebel was said also to have perished

Donetsk and the neighbouring region of Luhansk have declared themselves separate from Ukraine after referendums deemed illegal by Kiev , the U.S. and E.U. , but Russia said it "respected" the votes

The struggle for control of Ukraine , where the elected Pro Moscow President was deposed in February , has set Russia at loggerheads with Western powers

The talks in Kiev are part of an initiative put forward by the Organisation for Security and Co Operation in Europe (OSCE) and veteran German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger was brought in to moderate , those present included interim President Olexander Turchynov , Prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and several former Ukrainian leaders

The (OSCE) said Russian President supported it's initiative , but Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov questioned whether Presidential elections on May 25th should take place because Ukraine was on "the brink of civil war"

In an interview with Bloomberg Television Mr. Lavrov said in the East and South of Ukraine "there is a war , a real war" he also called for the inclusion of rebels in the crisis talks , saying they would only succeed if there was "equal participation of all regions

Ukrainian and Western officials have insisted that the elections go ahead ans accused Moscow of being behind the unrest

Ukraine's interim President Oleksandr Turchynov said that Kiev was ready to negotiate with Pro Russians but the rebels must give up their arms first

"We will not yield to blackmail " he said "we are ready to listen to the people of the East but they must not shoot , loot or occupy government buildings"

The interim government has refused to talk to the separatists , who apperently lack a single leader and agreed goals

"The government in Kiev doesnot want to help the people of Donetsk"said Denis Patkovski , a Pro Russian rebel in Sloviansk , Donetsk region , "they just come here with their guns"

But one of Ukraine's wealthiest businessmen has called on all sides to find a solution to the crisis , saying the majority in Eastern Ukraine support unity

Rinat Akhmetov , who is seen by many as one of the most influential people in the South East of the country , said the Donbass region of Donetsk and Luhansk could only benifit from a united Ukraine 

"Neither Russia ,  nor Donbass will win from this , we will face huge sanctions , we will not be able either to sell or produce this means unemployment , this means poverty" he said