The U.S. Army’s commander in Europe will meet with Ukrainian defense officials to the discuss their military-to-military relationship just as the war-torn country wrestling with Russian supporters for control over a key airport in Donetsk.
Lt. Gen. Frederick “Ben” Hodges will travel to the country this week and take part in a series of high-level meetings with the officials, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said. The group will discuss upcoming exercises and the U.S. military’s efforts to train and mentor the Ukrainian national guard, he said.
His visit comes at a time when Ukraine is seeing an uptick in violence near Donetsk international airport, said Alina Frolova, a Ukrainian resistance activist.
“Fighting has drastically intensified,” she said. “Starting from Jan. 15, we have [had] really tough battles, especially in Donetsk airport and nearby towns. We have massive bombing of small towns every night. And victims among civil population.”
Over the past few weeks, Russia has increased its attempt to gain territory region. Constant fighting over the airport has reduced parts of it into rubble and turned it mostly into a symbol of strategic power, according to the Kyiv Post.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern that the escalation in violence could unravel “a hard-won September 2014 cease-fire,” his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a Jan. 18 statement.
“The Secretary-General stresses that further deterioration of a situation that has led to heavy loss of life and civilian suffering must be avoided at all costs,”Mr. Dujarric said. “The United Nations stands ready to support all efforts toward de-escalation and the resumption of a genuine peace process to restore Ukraine’s stability and territorial integrity.”
• Maggie Ybarra can be reached at mybarra@washingtontimes.com.
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