In the aftermath of concluding the Minsk Two agreements earlier this month, the strategically important Debaltseve soon fell to the Russia-backed Ukrainian separatists—amidst clear disagreement over whether or not the latest ceasefire applied to the town. During the sixteen-hour talks in Minsk, on February 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly tried to hold out for a ten-day delay in the initiation of the ceasefire in order to resolve the situation around Debaltseve. As the “Normandy Four” continued their talks, allegations were made from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other sources that more military hardware and manpower was crossing …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation