On Friday, Ukraine stated it had destroyed part of a Russian convey that had entered Ukrainian territory.
The Russian convoy had entered Ukrainian territory last night and elements had been destroyed by Ukrainian artillery fire. Presently, we have sketchy details if any Russian soldiers or separatist were part of the convoy.
The New York Times reported that President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine said in a statement on his website that he could confirm some Western news reports that the column had crossed into Ukraine last night.
“The president informed that the given information was trustworthy and confirmed because the majority of the machines had been eliminated by Ukrainian artillery at night,” the statement said.
Secretary-General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said that the alliance had detected an “incursion” of vehicles from Russia last night, adding: “What we have seen last night is the continuation of what we have seen for some time.”
Rasmussen continued to comment on the Russian incursion, “It just confirms the fact that we see a continued flow of weapons and fighters from Russia into the eastern Ukraine,” he said.
“It is a clear demonstration of continued Russian involvement in the destabilization of eastern Ukraine.”
The Times continued to report, the convoy of more than 260 trucks that Russia says is filled with food and other aid for civilians caught up in the fighting in eastern Ukraine remained stalled inside Russia on Friday amid confusion over when inspections would start. Ukraine and its Western allies want to ensure that the cargo contains only relief supplies and not items that could help pro-Russian fighters battling to survive a Ukrainian offensive.
There has been confusion on what was actually in the trucks as Ukrainian officials are worried that Russia is using this humanitarian convoy as a pretext to send in much needed supplies to Russian separatists.
Russian separatist have been pushed back by a Ukrainian offensive, which has slowly encircled the city of Donetsk.
Ukraine and the west see this as a pretext for an invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Time magazine reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared all claims of ulterior motives for their humanitarian dispatch as “absurd.” Yet, reporters, including Courtney Weaver of the Financial Times, have noted that the convoy has taken on a militarized appearance, acquiring an escort that includes antiaircraft weapons and helicopters. Weaver also noted that most of the trucks in the convoy appeared to be Russian military trucks covered in either white paint or white tarpaulin.
If the reports prove to be accurate this definitely places President Obama in a precarious situation with one more crisis to deal with on top of the crisis in the Middle East.
Polls have shown that the president handling of foreign policy has plummeted and many feel he has been pushed around by Putin. This crisis will only deepen that perception.
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