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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| US starts training Ukrainians to fight pro-Russia forces |
| 2015-04-21 |
| US paratroopers on Monday began training Ukrainian government forces who will fight pro-Russian separatists in the east, angering Moscow as the deadly conflict rumbles on in the ex-Soviet country. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed troops from the US 173rd Airborne Brigade in a rain-soaked ceremony at a military base in Yavoriv, western Ukraine, to launch Operation Fearless Guardian. "We are the eyewitnesses and direct participants in forming the new Ukrainian military, which like the phoenix is rising again after years of decline," Poroshenko told the assembled troops. "This is not only a war for the independence of Ukraine, but also a war for freedom and democracy in Europe and the whole world." Officials said some 300 US troops will train 900 members of Ukraine's National Guard, which is deployed in the east where heavy artillery fire is rumbling on despite a February ceasefire. More than 6,000 people have been killed in the conflict in the past year and more than a million civilians have been displaced, according to the United Nations. US Army Major Michael Weisman told AFP the mission would provide training in individual and medical skills and defence manoeuvres with the kind of weapons already used by the Ukrainian forces such as AK-47 assault rifles. As the US brigade arrived in Ukraine last week from its base in Italy, Russia warned the move could "destabilize" Ukraine and said it was a step towards the United States arming. - Alleged Russian arms deliveries - Washington has sent $75 million (70 million euros) worth of non-lethal military aid to Kiev, but has so far held off from supplying arms. And the United States plans to give another $17.7 million in humanitarian assistance for those in need, such as shelter, health and sanitation support, food vouchers and potable water, the White House said. Britain has also deployed personnel to Ukraine to train government forces, in a mission that ministers said would involve up to 75 trainers at a time. Canada announced last week it would also send 200 trainers in the summer. US troops have trained with Ukrainian forces in the past, but this is the first time Washington has trained members of Ukraine's recently reformed National Guard. "It is the first time that joint exercises of such scale and content have been carried out in Ukraine," Poroshenko said. "I am sure the exercises we are launching here today will be effective in reinforcing and stabilising the situation." Kiev and the West say there is mounting evidence that Russia is arming separatists who control parts of eastern Ukraine and is sending troops to fight alongside them. Russia has repeatedly denied this. In a telephone call, Poroshenko and US Vice President Joe Biden "called on Russia to abide by the terms of the Minsk agreements and to stop the transfer of heavy weapons into Ukraine and massing of troops along the international border," the White House said. Ukrainian army spokesman Andriy Lysenko said shelling in the east eased on Sunday, but intelligence services had detected scores of vehicles bringing arms into eastern Ukraine from Russia over recent days. Moscow accuses the United States of backing an uprising that preceded the ousting of Ukraine's former pro-Russia president Viktor Yanukovych in February last year. Moscow subsequently annexed the Crimean peninsula. France and Germany brokered a ceasefire agreement in February, but European OSCE observers in eastern Ukraine say exchanges of artillery fire have continued over recent weeks. However, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said monitors had brokered a truce in one flashpoint village, Shyrokyne, near the strategic government-held city of Mariupol. "There is a good chance for peace at this moment and we need to invest as much as we can in this," Zannier told AFP during a visit to Lithuania. "But there is always a risk of relapse in the conflict." Poroshenko said there had been negotiations on setting up a 24-hour observation post for the OSCE in Shyrokyne, in comments quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. "We hope that it will be achieved in the coming days through joint efforts with our partners," he added. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #4 Iff Darth Vlad = Russia think this is "provocative", wait until ... ... * MANILA BULLETIN > POLAND TO BUILD MISSLE DEFENSE WID US. In Moscow's mind, ARTIC read = POLAND = UKRAINE = BALTICS = GERMANY. * FYI GROONG > [Moscow Times] NO IRAN DEAL [S-300's] ON HORIZON FOR RUSSIA. IRAN = INDIA = any traditional or routine probs as per delivery by Russia andor weapon performance, etc. = Iran to turn to the US-EU for substitute??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2015-04-21 23:47 |
| #3 They had great success in Afghanistan and Iraq under similar circumstances, right? Under US/NATO commanders, with secure communications. Their top general is essentially a cop, and a lot of Ukrainian volunteer battalion leaders believe that Ukrainian communications are hopelessly compromised. |
| Posted by: badanov 2015-04-21 21:41 |
| #2 They had great success in Afghanistan and Iraq under similar circumstances, right? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2015-04-21 21:38 |
| #1 Given the ineptitude of hte generals and the corruption in the Ukr Army... Yeah... good luck with that. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2015-04-21 21:36 |