Attack on Mariupol Begins; 7,000-8,000 Ukrainian Forces Nearly Encircled in Northern Cauldron; US Sends Army Trainers

Yesterday, DNR (Donetsk People’s Republic) president Alexander Zakharchenko issued this statement on a ceasefire:
“There will no longer be any attempts to speak about a ceasefire from our side. We will now see how Kiev reacts. Kiev doesn’t currently understand that we can advance in three directions simultaneously“.
Jacob Dreizin, a US citizen who reads Russian and speaks Ukrainian provides a DNR perspective that he has seen.
Jacob writes …
Background for Zakharchenko’s “no more ceasefires” statement stems from rebel disappointment back in August when Moscow forced the rebels to the negotiating table in Minsk, Belarus. The rebels gave up some territory around Mariupol at a time when Ukraine army was retreating, and in complete disarray.
This could have been a great opportunity for Kiev to come to its senses and accept a political solution.

This post was published at Global Economic Analysis on Saturday, January 24, 2015.