De-escalation is priority in east Ukraine: Poroshenko

Kiev, January 25

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Sunday that de-escalating the conflict with pro-Russian rebels was the priority for the Kiev government, which stands by a September peace deal signed in Minsk.

Fighting between government troops and separatists in eastern Ukraine has intensified in recent days after the rebels ruled out more peace talks. “Beginning a political process of de-escalation and regulation remains our priority. We don’t see an alternative to the Minsk agreement,” Poroshenko told a meeting of security and defence chiefs. He said EU foreign ministers would meet on Monday to discuss the crisis and the options for increasing pressure on Russia.

Russia, whom the West accuses of supporting the separatists, prevented the U.N. Security Council on Saturday from criticizing rebel statements and condemning the upsurge in violence.

Thirty civilians were killed after rebels launched an offensive against the strategic port of Mariupol on Saturday, prompting the European Union’s foreign policy chief to warn of a further “grave deterioration” in EU-Russian relations. — Reuters

Russia blocks UN condemnation of shelling 

Russia has blocked a Western-backed UN Security Council statement that would have condemned indiscriminate shelling in Ukraine's southeastern city of Mariupol that killed about 30 civilians and injured more than 90. The statement blocked on Saturday called for "an immediate de-escalation of violence," implementation of a September cease-fire and an "objective investigation" of Saturday's rocket-fire in Mariupol.