6 Sep 2014

Russia promises ‘a reaction’ to EU sanctions over Ukraine

Russia vows “there will be a reaction” if new EU sanctions are imposed over its actions in Ukraine, where a truce appears to be largely holding after five months of fighting.

The EU announced the additional measures late on Friday but said they could be suspended if Moscow withdraws its troops from Ukraine and observes a newly agreed ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

The new sanctions include adding a further 24 people to a list of people barred from entry to the 28-nation bloc and whose assets are frozen.

They are due to be implemented on Monday. “If they (new sanctions) are implemented of course there will be a reaction from our side,” the ministry said in a statement.

Underlining the fragility of the truce, approved on Friday by envoys from Ukraine, the separatist leadership, Russia and the OSCE security watchdog, some residents in rebel-held Donetsk reported sporadic shelling overnight on the city outskirts.

“It is looking good for now but we know they (the Ukrainian side) are only using it to bring in more forces here and ammunition and then to hit us with renewed strength,” said one rebel commander known by his nickname Montana.

‘That is even worse’

“Come what may, I would not trust (Ukraine’s President Petro) Poroshenko. And it’s not him making the call anyway but the Americans and that is even worse.”

Poroshenko agreed to the ceasefire after Ukraine accused Russia of sending troops and arms onto its territory in support of the separatists, who had suffered big losses over the summer.

Moscow denies sending troops or arming the rebels.

The truce has raised hopes of an end to fighting that has caused the worst standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War ended.

But US President Barack Obama, who has also accused Russia of involvement, said on Friday he was sceptical the separatists would follow through.

‘No ceasefire but a theatre’

A Donetsk resident, Ksenia, said she had heard some shooting overnight after the ceasefire had come into effect. “I don’t know what ceasefire we are talking of if there was shooting again. This is no ceasefire but a theatre.

“This war will go on for five to nine years. Slavs are killing Slavs, there can be nothing worse than that,” she said.

Dmytro Tymchuk, a defence analyst with links to government forces, accused the rebels of violating the ceasefire at various sites around the region, adding: “The Ukrainian forces are fully observing the conditions of the ceasefire and only open fire when their positions come under attack.”