This week, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a deal at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) to buy weapons from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ukraine is in dire need of weapons due to Russia’s invasion and minimal support from the West.
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande met in Minsk, Belarus, in an attempt to end the war in east Ukraine. The four emerged after 16 hours, all agreeing to a ceasefire in the east starting on February 15.
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Ukraine endured another violent day as over 30 died and 102 were wounded in Mariupol from attacks by pro-Russian separatists. The majority of those killed were innocent civilians, including two children.
The situation in east Ukraine continues to deteriorate. This week, a shell exploded near a civilian bus near Volnovakha, 37 miles from Donetsk, which left eleven people dead and thirteen injured. A video posted to YouTube [WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT] shows dead bodies in the bus. Screenshots show pools of blood on the ground.
Ukraine cut power and cancelled trains to Crimea as Visa and Mastercard announced the company will not process business cards due to sanctions from the West.
Ukraine’s new Parliament voted to end all blocks on forming alliances with foreign military. The bill pushes Ukraine closer to a NATO membership, which caused backlash from Russia.