Ukraine has marked the 23rd anniversary of its independence from the former Soviet Union with a military parade through the capital, Kiev, as its army continued to push for a decisive breakthrough against pro-Russian separatists in the country's east.
The Kiev procession, as well as a naval parade in the port of Odessa, were the first such events to be held in Ukraine since 2009, when they were outlawed by pro-Russia president Viktor Yanukovych, whose overthrow last year prompted Russia to annex the Crimean peninsula and gave rise to the separatist movement in the country's east.
The BBC reported that Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko vowed to spend $3 billion rearming the country's military in an Independence Day speech. The broadcaster had reported that some Ukrainians had criticized the event as an inappropriate waste of money due to the ongoing bloodshed in the country's east. The United Nations has estimated that over 2,000 people have died in four months of fighting, while hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.
The BBC also reported that separatists in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk had planned to hold their own parade that would showcase destroyed Ukrainian armored personnel carriers and captured Ukraine soldiers. However, it could not be immediately confirmed that such an event had taken place.
The events took place one day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for fresh talks to resolve the crisis during a visit to Kiev. Merkel has emerged as the West's key intermediary in the crisis due to her closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Among other attributes, Merkel speaks fluent Russian as a consequence of her being born and educated in the former East Germany.
On Saturday, both Merkel and Poroshenko attempted to tamp down criticism from some Ukrainians who claimed that Merkel had not demanded enough from Moscow. The German leader said Saturday that stopping the transfer of weapons and fighters to the rebels from across the border with Russia was a prerequisite for peace. Russia has been widely accused of providing arms, training, and funding to the separatists, a charge it has repeatedly denied.
However, Merkel also said she would not seek new sanctions against Russia despite international anger over a Russian convoy that was purportedly sent to distribute aid to war-torn areas of eastern Ukraine. A military spokesman for the Kiev government claimed that some of the trucks had picked up military equipment. On Saturday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said that all 227 trucks had returned to Russian territory.
Also over the weekend, NATO Russia of firing its artillery on Ukrainian forces from both its side of the border and from within Ukraine. Russia's foreign affairs ministry responded by calling the charge 'unfounded.'
Click for more from the BBC. Entities 0 Name: Ukraine Count: 6 1 Name: Russia Count: 6 2 Name: Merkel Count: 5 3 Name: Kiev Count: 4 4 Name: Russian Count: 3 5 Name: BBC Count: 3 6 Name: West Count: 1 7 Name: Vladimir Putin Count: 1 8 Name: Crimean peninsula Count: 1 9 Name: Angela Merkel Count: 1 10 Name: Odessa Count: 1 11 Name: Europe Count: 1 12 Name: Ukrainian Count: 1 13 Name: East Germany Count: 1 14 Name: United Nations Count: 1 15 Name: Viktor Yanukovych Count: 1 16 Name: Soviet Union Count: 1 17 Name: Petro Poroshenko Count: 1 18 Name: Poroshenko Count: 1 19 Name: German Count: 1 20 Name: Donetsk Count: 1 21 Name: Moscow Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1l4zByG Title: Ukraine in show of military strength Description: Ukraine is marking its independence day with a military parade in Kiev as fighting continues in the east. The parade will feature hundreds of marching servicemen and military hardware. Critics say that it is inappropriate when Ukraine is at war.
