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| Europe |
| EU Moves to Sanction Separatists as E. Ukraine Fighting Intensifies |
| 2014-11-18 |
| [VOA News] European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... foreign ministers moved Monday to ratchet up sanctions against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, amid reports of intensified fighting in the region. EU diplomats reported that the foreign ministers, who were meeting in Brussels, have asked EU officials to put more separatists on the bloc's sanctions list. However, there's more than one way to skin a cat... there was no indication that Russia would be hit with additional EU sanctions. The EU move follows elections held by the separatists earlier this month in the areas under their control, which were denounced by Western governments, as well as an upsurge in fighting between rebel and government forces despite a cease-fire reached in early September. Witnesses reported fresh shelling in and around the rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Monday. Ukrainian officials reported Monday that ten servicemen - seven soldiers and three coppers - were killed over the previous 24 hours in attacks at various locations in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Donetsk city officials reported that one civilian was killed and eight maimed in shelling over the weekend. Government and rebel forces routinely accuse each other of breaking the September 5 cease-fire and shelling civilian areas. |
| Posted by:Fred |