Heavy fighting threatens Ukraine ceasefire

“Instead of feverishly searching for ways to hurt the economies of its own countries and Russia, the European Union would do better to work on supporting the economic revival of the Donbass region” of eastern Ukraine, its foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The Minsk accord calls on both sides to start pulling back from major flashpoints and exchanging prisoners, as well as the supply of humanitarian aid to the devastated cities of east Ukraine.

There was no confirmation yet if any of the articles had yet been implemented.

Although Poroshenko said he was “satisfied” with the agreement, it opened him up to accusations that he has surrendered to recent rebel advances and failed to reunify the nation of 45 million under a pro-Western banner, as he promised at the time of his election in May.

The peace pact could leave the separatists — who remain deeply mistrustful of the nationalist-leaning government in Kiev — in effective control of a region that accounts for one-sixth of Ukraine’s population and a quarter of its exports.

The months of fighting have left dozens of towns in the east in ruins, and once-powerful factories and coal mines that form the backbone of Ukraine’s economy have ground to a halt.

“It’s impossible to trust them (the rebels), they are bandits,” said Natalia, a 54-year-old professor staying with friends in Mariupol after fleeing Donetsk.

A Human Rights Watch report on Saturday accused pro-Russian rebels of committing “serious violations of the laws of war”, claiming they were forcing civilians to work in “punishment brigades” on pain of death.

An Amnesty report also accused both sides of war crimes, including indiscriminate shelling, abductions, torture, and killings.

But despite strong rhetoric, there appears to be little appetite in Western capitals to become directly involved in ensuring the peace in the former Soviet state.

“This obviously is a ceasefire that has to be held between Russia and Ukraine,” US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

“This isn’t about the United States; this is about them.”