Ukrainian president promises swift attack to 'free the land'

[Tony Gosling]

Ukrainian president promises swift attack to 'free the land'
Tuesday, 01 July 2014

my take - http://twitter.com/RT_com/status/483696576469012480
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8p6_Q06H4U

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has decided to not prolong the 
ceasefire with Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, announcing an 
end to a fragile deal to deescalate tensions in the country's eastern regions.
http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/25621/53/

"We will attack and will free our land," Poroshenko said. The 
ceasefire officially ended at 19:00 GMT, according to a statement 
that appeared on the president's website shortly after midnight.

Since then, heavy shelling and intense shooting was reported in the 
city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region.

The newly-elected president said that the decision to unilaterally 
end the ceasefire was taken after his meeting with Ukraine's National 
Security and Defense Council. Poroshenko told Ukrainians that"peace" 
is the end game, but the "tools" of achieving it have changed.

"Protection of Ukraine's territorial integrity, security and lives of 
civilians requires not only defensive, but offensive action against 
terrorists-militants. Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State 
Border Service, the Security Service received appropriate orders," 
Poroshenko said, adding that they "are no longer limited to the ceasefire."

The decision to end the ceasefire comes despite peacekeeping efforts 
from both Russia and Europe. In a final effort to influence Kiev's 
decision, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered earlier on Monday 
for border checkpoints on the Russian side to be monitored by 
representatives of the Ukrainian Border Service, as well as OSCE 
observers, for "the joint control of the border," in order to ensure 
there were no crossing points being used for illegal purposes.

"Non-renewal of the ceasefire is our response to terrorists, rebels, 
looters, all those who torment the civilians, who paralyze the 
economy of the region, who disturb payment of salaries, pensions, 
stipends, who undermines the railroads, destroys water pipes, those 
who deprive people of normal peaceful life,"Poroshenko said in an 
address to the nation.

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