Section: The Guardian (The United Kingdom)
Mariupol, next in the sights of pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian forces build second line of defence around major port and industrial centre as reports circulate of rebel buildup of fighters and weaponry in areaA plume of smoke rose above the horizon as a group of Ukrainian soldiers dug trenches near the village of Berdyansk outside Mariupol, seemingly oblivious to the mortar fire going off like...
Sending UK advisers to Ukraine will not lead to mission creep, Fallon tells MPs
Defence secretary says Britain will not deploy combat troops to Ukraine, following surprise announcement of deployment of miliary trainersMichael Fallon, the defence secretary, has sought to assure MPs that the surprise deployment of UK military trainers to Ukraine will not lead to mission creep, insisting: “We are not deploying combat troops to...
Russia defends Minsk ceasefire deal while France warns of further sanctions – video
Russia is concerned that those outside Ukraine and in Kiev want a peace deal in the east of the country to fail, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says on Wednesday. The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, says Moscow willl face more EU sanctions if pro-Russia rebels attack Ukraine’s government-held port of Mariupol, which he points out...
UK military training in Ukraine: symbolic move that risks Russian ire
Increased western involvement could be used by Moscow to escalate its role and portray it to Russians as resistance to Nato advancesBritain’s decision to dip its toe into the Ukraine crisis is hardly likely to have a decisive impact on the outgunned and struggling Ukrainian army, but it serves the symbolic purpose of taking a stake in the...
Vladimir Putin effigy burned in northern Ukraine – video
Residents in the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy burn an effigy of Russian president Vladimir Putin as part of the Orthodox Lent festival. A crudely constructed figure, with Putin’s face and a pig’s snout, is burned on a pile of tyres. An effigy is traditionally burnt at the conclusion of Lent, to mark the end of winter. Residents say...
Britain ‘not ruling out’ providing arms to Ukraine, says PM – video
David Cameron tells a committee of MPs that Britain will provide military advisers and non-lethal equipment to Ukrainian forces. Four separate areas will be covered by the deployment: medical, intelligence, logistics and infantry training. The prime minister says Britain should not ‘rule out forever’ going further in its assistance...
Deep roots of the chaos in Ukraine | Letter: Martin Packard
I hope that Jonathan Steele’s excellent critique of Richard Sakwa’s book Frontline Ukraine (Review, 21 February) will be widely read. It is the first piece I have discovered in the UK press to provide a realistic synopsis of the background to current events.The real ending of the cold war was in 1986, when the USSR leadership resolved...
Britain to send military advisers to Ukraine – Cameron
Prime minister says service personnel to provide infantry training as well as advice on logistics, medical care and tactical intelligenceBritish military personnel are to be deployed to Ukraine over the next few weeks to provide advice and training to government troops, David Cameron has said. The announcement came as the prime minister stated...
Cameron questioned by MPs about Ukraine, Russia, Isis and other matters: Politics Live blog
Rolling coverage of all the day’s political developments as they happen, including the growing pressure on Sir Malcolm Rifkind to resign as chair of the ISC and David Cameron’s evidence to the Commons liaison committeeRifkind’s statement on standing down as an MPRifkind’s resignation statement as chair of the ISCRifkind...
Ukraine separatists celebrate Soviet holiday in Donetsk
Medals awarded to outstanding fighters as thousands of people gather to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day, also known as Men’s DayThousands of residents and rebel fighters have gathered in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic to celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day, also known as Men’s Day – a celebration that has...
