US General Breedlove said ceasefire is in name only
Ukrainian army and pro-Russia separatists have continued fighting even after signing a truce to create a buffer zone.
NATO’s top military commander said, Fighting in Ukraine is continuing and a ceasefire signed on September 5 to end fighting between the army and pro-Russia separates is “in name only”.
“The situation in Ukraine is not good right now,” Philip Breedlove, US Air Force General noted.
Breedlove, who is also NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, said: “Basically, we have ceasefire in name only.
“The number of events, and the number of rounds fired and the artillery used across the past few days match some of the pre-ceasefire levels. The ceasefire is still there in name, but what is happening on the ground is quite a different story,” he said.
Breedlove said he hopes a memorandum signed on Saturday for the withdrawal of heavy weapons, including artillery, and all foreign fighters from a 30 kilometre-wide buffer zone will help calm the situation.
Under the deal, the longer-range artillery systems are to be pulled even farther back to make sure the parties can not reach one another.
The deal also specifically bans flights by combat aircraft over the area of conflict and setting up new minefields.
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