AFP flash: EU's Mogherini calls for immediate truce in east Ukraine
AP quotes Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as saying during a visit to Kharkiv on Tuesday that "I don't have a slightest doubt that the decision to supply Ukraine with weapons will be made by the United States as well as by other partners of ours, because we need to have the capabilities to defend ourselves."
Unnamed U.S. officials had already expressed frustration over Poroshenko's statement to a joint session of the U.S. Congress that "one cannot win a war with blankets."
Some seemingly legitimate questions.
Pope Francis speaking at his weekly general audience at the Vatican today:
"My thoughts go to the beloved people of Ukraine. (Applause). Unfortunately, the situation is worsening and so is the position of all of the parties involved. Let us pray for the victims, many of whom are civilians, and for their families and call on the Lord to stop, as early as possible, this horrible and violent fratricide."
"I renew my appeal until every force is used, even at an international level, for dialogue to restart, which is the only way to lead to peace and concord in this martyred land."
"I think of you, my Ukrainian brothers and sisters, think - this is a war between Christians, you all have the same baptism, Christians are fighting each other, think of this scandal. We will all pray because prayer is our protest in front of God in the time of war."
Here is the full text of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's statement on events in eastern Ukraine:
The spiral of ever increasing violence in Eastern Ukraine needs to stop. The fighting provoked by the continued separatist offensive, notably around Debaltseve, is causing great human suffering and undermines all efforts aimed at a political solution. The shelling of civilians, wherever it happens, is a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Artillery should immediately be withdrawn from residential areas.
Residents of Ukraine's Donbas strive to flee the region and the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen dramatically in the coldest period of the year. Civilians need to be able to leave the conflict zone safely. I join the call by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on all actors in and around the Debaltseve area to establish a local temporary truce for a minimum of three days, taking immediate effect.