Today's situation map from Ukrainian military authorities.
From our newsroom:
Ukraine’s military said on February 9 that at least 1,500 more Russian soldiers crossed the border into Ukrainian territory during the previous 48 hours -- raising to more than 10,000 the number of Russian troops that Kyiv claims have been deployed in eastern Ukraine to help pro-Russian separatists.
Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told journalists in Kyiv that fresh Russian deployments on February 7 and 8 into Ukraine also involved “300 pieces of military equipment, including Grad missile systems” and about 170 vehicles -- including trucks, petrol tankers, and cars.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on January 21 accused Russia of sending more than 9,000 troops into Ukrainian territory, including about “500 tanks, heavy artillery, and armored personnel carriers.”
Despite mounting evidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin denies sending troops into eastern Ukraine.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on February 7 that Russia must either "get out" of Ukraine or face "continued international isolation" and domestic economic problems.
He said pro-Russian separatist leaders and “trained fighters” in eastern Ukraine “directly answer” to Putin.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
Ontario's TVO hosted American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia Ivan Krastev, and Eurasianist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin for an extended discussion on their respective "clashing visions."
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius speaking as he arrives for the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels today:
"We hope that there will be a meeting on Wednesday in Minsk in the Normandy format as we call it -- that is the Ukrainian president, the Russian president, the German chancellor, and the French president. The objective is to have a de-escalation and peace, but we are not at all assured of the result. We have to remain prudent."
"The principle of the sanctions" -- a reference to visa bans and asset freezes -- "after the Mariupol [attack on January 24] is sustained, but their application depends on the situation on the ground. In practice they will take effect as of next Monday."
Confirming what our Brussels correspondent was tweeting earlier today. This from our newsroom:
EU foreign ministers have approved an expanded sanctions list over Ukraine's conflict but will wait to implement the measures in order to see if a proposed four-way Ukraine peace summit makes progress.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in Brussels on February 9 that "the principle of the sanctions will be kept, but their implementation will depend on the situation on the ground."
He said the EU will assess the situation again on February 16.
Earlier on February 9, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier raised doubts about the Minsk peace summit scheduled for February 11, suggesting it was not yet certain it would take place.
Steinmeier said there much work must be done on “open points” before the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany would meet.
Putin also has said Minsk summit would not take place if the four leaders fail to agree on a "number of points" before February 11.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters