Ukraine ceasefire deal reached after marathon Minsk talks

[Up All Night]

Putin said that all sides have agreed to pull back heavy weapons.

Both sides are to pull heavy weapons back from the frontline from 50 kilometers (30 miles) to 140 kilometers (85 miles) depending on their caliber, creating a much wider buffer zone than specified under the September agreement. The withdrawals, which are to begin Monday and be completed within two weeks, are to be monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

I bet that must make John McCain and the heavy weapon suppliers sad...

International Monetary Fund director Christine Lagarde on Thursday announced a new IMF bailout package that's worth $17.5 billion over the next four years. It has still to be approved by the board of directors.

"Over the past year, despite the challenging environment, the Ukrainian authorities have clearly shown their commitment to ambitious reform on several key fronts," Lagarde said in a statement.

These include strong fiscal discipline and moves to strengthen anti-corruption measures.

"This new program offers an important opportunity for Ukraine to move its economy forward at a critical moment in the country's history," Lagarde said. But it is also "subject to high risks," she said, because of the geopolitical developments in the east.

The deal replaces a separate $17 billion bailout agreed to last year by the IMF. Only $4.5 billion of those funds were distributed, bringing the IMF's total commitment to $22 billion.

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Wait, isn't the IMF heavily funded by US Tax Dollars (or should I say dollars that the US borrows from China???)....

The US cannot afford to keep propping up failed states. INsanity !!!!

[Kelt]

These 'ceasefires' are to give Russia time to truck more troops and heavy weapons into Eastern Ukraine.

Usually I can pick a side and stick with it, but here we've got Russians on one side who think they're back in the Soviet era and can roll into Ukraine any time they feel the urge, and on the other side we have neo-nazi and far right extremists who... well, I don't have to tell anyone the kind of shenanigans NAZIs and far Right extremists get up to for giggles.

Hopefully they all die. That would be my first choice.

If not, partition that shithole of a country like we did Germany.

[albrecht]

These 'ceasefires' are to give Russia time to truck more troops and heavy weapons into Eastern Ukraine.

Usually I can pick a side and stick with it, but here we've got Russians on one side who think they're back in the Soviet era and can roll into Ukraine any time they feel the urge, and on the other side we have neo-nazi and far right extremists who... well, I don't have to tell anyone the kind of shenanigans NAZIs and far Right extremists get up to for giggles.

Hopefully they all die. That would be my first choice.

If not, partition that shithole of a country like we did Germany.

Well, I'm not for wholesale death but it might not be a bad idea to partition the country along the voting lines, which (aside from the Cossacks who also were pro-Russian in the vote) goes around ethnic and religious lines. Let Russia have Crimea and some portion of what used to be Russia and whose people overwhelmingly voted to seceed. And let the Ukrainians have their part with, I guess, some REAL NATO declaration of protection. I'm not sure why voting (more close voting by the way) can happen in Scotland, Quebec, etc and the UN, EU, USA, etc accept that vote but votes in Crimea, or elsewhere, "don't matter." The UN charter clearly states self-determination and so give the people what they want....in an orderly way. Allow ethnic Ukrainians and Catholics to move, with their capital and property, to Ukraine. Allow ethnic Russians, and Orthodox, to move from Ukraine to Crimea (or Russia.) If they wish. And partition. Than, maybe in a generation or two they can begin to act a little better? I don't know. As far as I'm concerned diversity almost always equals problems, especially in bad economic circumstances or in places with bitter history. Better for self-autonomous regions, local governments, federalism, and ethnically homogeneous populations by natural association and economics- not by war, invasions, ethnic cleansing, etc.

[Chaim]

http://youtu.be/vkV_vbvGUuM
Russian weather machine
Be aware: The weather isn't changing where you are. There's no snow falling, only hail.

I love that video.

[Yorkshire pud]

As far as I'm concerned diversity almost always equals problems, especially in bad economic circumstances or in places with bitter history. Better for self-autonomous regions, local governments, federalism, and ethnically homogeneous populations by natural association and economics- not by war, invasions, ethnic cleansing, etc.

Going by that philosophy, the USA wouldn't be the USA. It would still be populated with Polynesians and maybe a few Vikings.

[GeorgieForPresident2216]

Why does everyone accuse Ukraine as having a fascist government.  When I looked into that claim a few months ago, it appeared there was a fascist-esque party, but it only accounted for three backbenchers who were vocal but essentially powerless.  Of course, RT played up their statements to make it look like they represented the government.

[GeorgieForPresident2216]

Why does everyone accuse Ukraine as having a fascist government.  When I looked into that claim a few months ago, it appeared there was a fascist-esque party, but it only accounted for three backbenchers who were vocal but essentially powerless.  Of course, RT played up their statements to make it look like they represented the government.

I stand corrected.  They held 37 of the 450 seats, but only three members in the actual governing body.  Those three members have since resigned, and they are down to seven seats total in the parliament.

[PB the Deplorable]

Has our State Dept dropped the idea of NATO membership for the Ukraine yet?

[VtaGeezer]

Has our State Dept dropped the idea of NATO membership for the Ukraine yet?

Only McCain is that eager for war with Russia; and maybe his sycophant Lindsey G.

[Chaim]

Why does everyone accuse Ukraine as having a fascist government.

http://youtu.be/0ozdz7fMdXI
Nazi Battalion giving their oath on the main square in Kiev?

http://youtu.be/X8oJN9-0BrA
CIA putsch in Ukraine

[DanTSX]

Oh this will last

[WOTR]

Wait, isn't the IMF heavily funded by US Tax Dollars (or should I say dollars that the US borrows from China???)....

The US cannot afford to keep propping up failed states. INsanity !!!!

While the US provides more than any other single nation it is only 16 - 17% funded by the US.  Don't worry- we all get to share in contributing to the IMF...

[Chaim]

http://vk.com/videos189477881?z=video189477881_170900782%2Falbum189477881

an uncensored video about Donbass, mostly dead Ukrops to see.

[Kelt]

While the US provides more than any other single nation it is only 16 - 17% funded by the US.  Don't worry- we all get to share in contributing to the IMF...

I think the EU contributes about 25-30% while the US contributes circa 17%

Regardless, I think Reagan was right... we should bomb Russia.