Fighting has dramatically subsided in eastern Ukraine by September 1. A couple of weeks ago, in mid-August, the situation was different and the guns were blazing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists: “It is now possible to call the ‘separation line’ [in Donbas] a ‘front line.’ ” Lavrov accused the Ukrainian military of massing forces and preparing a new offensive “like in August 2014 and in January 2015,” in an attempt to crush the Donbas “rebellion” (Interfax, August 17). The secretary of the Ukrainian National Security Council, Alexander Turchynov, in turn also accused Russia of “massing troops” and preparing …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation