Putin Demands Surrender of Encircled Ukrainian Troops

[Redheart]

Despite the ceasefire deal, fighting still rages on in Debaltseve.

Putin Demands Surrender of Encircled Ukrainian Troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling on pro-Russian rebels to allow besieged Ukrainian troops safe passage out of the encircled town of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine.

Speaking Tuesday in the Hungarian capital, Putin also urged the Kyiv government to allow its troops to surrender.

Putin spoke alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as fighting raged in Debaltseve, despite an internationally brokered cease-fire announced last week by Putin and the leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine.

In the news conference, broadcast on Moscow television, Putin noted that Ukrainian troops were encircled at Debaltseve "about a week before" the truce deal was reached February 12. He also said he'd predicted last week that the encirclement at Debaltseve presaged "one way or another, for some time, that these clashes will continue."

But he said fighting elsewhere in the east had abated since the cease-fire was announced.

The main rebel group fighting at Debaltseve also insists the town was encircled before the cease-fire began Sunday, making it an internal part of the rebel-held region rather than part of the front lines where envoys agreed the fighting would stop.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, both sides were to begin withdrawing heavy weapons from frontal areas Tuesday. But as the deadline passed, each side insisted it would not be the first to pull back from Debaltseve. Ahead of Putin's comments in Budapest, Ukraine conceded that "several army units" were surrounded in the town.

On Monday, separatists offered Ukrainian forces, said to number in the thousands, safe passage out of town if they laid down their arms. But Ukraine promptly rejected the idea, saying Debaltseve lies within its territory under the truce negotiated in Minsk. The devastated town has seen major fighting constantly since earlier truce efforts failed last month.

"As soon as the militants cease fire, the Ukrainian side will begin to withdraw heavy weaponry from the front line," said Ukrainian military spokesman Anatoliy Stelmakh in televised comments.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution drafted by Russia that supports the Minsk cease-fire deal, while calling on rebels to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Ukraine and a host of Western governments accuse Russia of stoking the rebellion in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east with arms and fighters, while the Kremlin denies providing direct support.

With those denials flatly rejected by Western governments, the European Union on Monday unveiled a new round of sanctions against Moscow for its widely perceived role in the Ukraine crisis. The new penalties target Russia's deputy defense minister and 18 more individuals with travel bans and asset freezes.

Russia said it would make an "appropriate response" to the sanctions, while condemning them as "inconsistent and illogical" because they were issued within days of the cease-fire that Putin helped negotiate.

 

[Cmok]

Wow talk about twisting someone's words. He isn't demanding they surrender, he's demanding Kiev let them surrender since recently the Ukrainian government passed a law by which anyone who surrenders will be trialed for treason thus making it impossible for the encircled soldiers to do anything but stay put. It seems, however, that some of the soldiers have surrender while others are leaving Debaltsevo.

Kiev says troops withdrawn from Debaltsevo, rebels claim military ‘surrender en masse’ — RT News

 

[Onionman]

The man really isn't backing down, is he? Putin doesn't seem to care what the rest of the world is saying because he basically believes he is right! Hopefully, we'll have a sensible resolution to this whole episode, and we don't see a gradual creep into the rest of the old Soviet Bloc. Time will tell.

 

[morgan_titan]

His comments in Hungary though were so smug it hurt. With Poroshenko asking for foreign peacekeeping troops on the ground, we might see either a de-escalation, or an escalation. I hope it's the latter.

 

[Gelsemium]

I really don't know how Putin has a say on this, if he invaded a foreign country and it's official breaking the international law how come don't all other countries do something? I think that smug is the right word...

 

[Shimus]

In the case of unlawful invasion regardless of the NATO or UN or any other "lettered" agency, the world probably wouldn't stand for it. If indeed the words were being twisted then I feel good those soldiers were able to unbind their hands or many people may have needlessly lost more lives. On the other hand, Putin is getting worse and showing signs. I don't think he'd be fool enough to pop the cork that destroys humanity (nuclear war) but he's definitely having fun in his warfare games.

 

[003]

Everybody might say Putin to stop, but it's really impossible because he believes that everyone is conspiring to put him down to his knee. And everything is backed up by US. Putin doesn't want what US does, which is interfering with other countries and trying to unite the world because instead that it's going to benefit almost all countries, it's all going to weaken the rest of the world while strengthening America. I think Putin has some point if what he thinks is right. But back at the fundamental, I think what he thinks isn't true at all, despite that there's a possibility that they might be.

 

[Shimus]

If he gets to megalomaniac levels though, somebody WILL step in. This is if he didn't already launch all the nukes with a red button before he goes.

I'm sure even if we have opposing ideologies there has to be a middle ground at a point or you just invite war.

 

[orangesunset]

Wow talk about twisting someone's words. He isn't demanding they surrender, he's demanding Kiev let them surrender since recently the Ukrainian government passed a law by which anyone who surrenders will be trialed for treason thus making it impossible for the encircled soldiers to do anything but stay put. It seems, however, that some of the soldiers have surrender while others are leaving Debaltsevo.

I forgot about new law Kiev passed. Ok Putin's demand makes perfect sense then. Or Putin could offer to allow the encircled Ukranians to surrender to him, and he will prevent them from falling into Ukranians hands. Kiev doesn't seem to know much about how to motivate their troops, threatening to try anyone for treason who surrenders is not a good way to motivate your soldiers.

 

[Gelsemium]

I think that no one knows how to motivate troops really, it has to be a living hell to see our homes destroyed and our loved ones dead or dislocated, I don't know how it could be more discouraging than that.

 

[jeremy2]

Despite the ceasefire deal, fighting still rages on in Debaltseve.

Putin Demands Surrender of Encircled Ukrainian Troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling on pro-Russian rebels to allow besieged Ukrainian troops safe passage out of the encircled town of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine.

Speaking Tuesday in the Hungarian capital, Putin also urged the Kyiv government to allow its troops to surrender.

Putin spoke alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as fighting raged in Debaltseve, despite an internationally brokered cease-fire announced last week by Putin and the leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine.

In the news conference, broadcast on Moscow television, Putin noted that Ukrainian troops were encircled at Debaltseve "about a week before" the truce deal was reached February 12. He also said he'd predicted last week that the encirclement at Debaltseve presaged "one way or another, for some time, that these clashes will continue."

But he said fighting elsewhere in the east had abated since the cease-fire was announced.

The main rebel group fighting at Debaltseve also insists the town was encircled before the cease-fire began Sunday, making it an internal part of the rebel-held region rather than part of the front lines where envoys agreed the fighting would stop.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, both sides were to begin withdrawing heavy weapons from frontal areas Tuesday. But as the deadline passed, each side insisted it would not be the first to pull back from Debaltseve. Ahead of Putin's comments in Budapest, Ukraine conceded that "several army units" were surrounded in the town.

On Monday, separatists offered Ukrainian forces, said to number in the thousands, safe passage out of town if they laid down their arms. But Ukraine promptly rejected the idea, saying Debaltseve lies within its territory under the truce negotiated in Minsk. The devastated town has seen major fighting constantly since earlier truce efforts failed last month.

"As soon as the militants cease fire, the Ukrainian side will begin to withdraw heavy weaponry from the front line," said Ukrainian military spokesman Anatoliy Stelmakh in televised comments.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution drafted by Russia that supports the Minsk cease-fire deal, while calling on rebels to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Ukraine and a host of Western governments accuse Russia of stoking the rebellion in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east with arms and fighters, while the Kremlin denies providing direct support.

With those denials flatly rejected by Western governments, the European Union on Monday unveiled a new round of sanctions against Moscow for its widely perceived role in the Ukraine crisis. The new penalties target Russia's deputy defense minister and 18 more individuals with travel bans and asset freezes.

Russia said it would make an "appropriate response" to the sanctions, while condemning them as "inconsistent and illogical" because they were issued within days of the cease-fire that Putin helped negotiate.

Those besieged troops should surrender on their own terms since they are in their country. No amount of intimidation should coarse them to give up on their sovereignty as they have a moral duty to guard their country against any external aggression.

 

[Shimus]

I think that no one knows how to motivate troops really, it has to be a living hell to see our homes destroyed and our loved ones dead or dislocated, I don't know how it could be more discouraging than that.

That is true. It's most discouraging when everything you signed up to save is in shreds. Just because of someone elses politics and bureaucracy.

 

[Gelsemium]

The only thing I think that will give them motivation and will help them keep them going is the feeling that they are protecting their families and loved ones, but war really doesn't have any humanity in it.

 

[vegito12]

I don't think anyone is listening to what he is saying and Ukraine has been at war for quite awhile now and economy is not good and rebellion is occuring which is not a good thing and many deaths have occured. I don't think a end is going to happen anytime soon and does not look like a truce will happen that easily as it was broken. If it carries on like this there, will just be bodies and no people left as many are losing thier loved ones due to this and unsafe to roam the area and must be a hard time for the innocents living there.

 

[Gelsemium]

Vegito, can anyone listen to what he's saying? He looks like the North Korean leader, he lives in a different reality, so people do listen, but we cannot take him seriously because it's all about demagogy.