Ukraine: War, Gas and Mercenaries at a Crossroads

400 US mercenaries in Ukraine and $1.951 billion in gas debt: the crisis intensifies in the east of the country

English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published

Ukraine: War, Gas and Mercenaries at a Crossroads

The conflict escalated in May 2014 with the arrival of 400 US mercenaries from the company Academi, formerly known as Blackwater, in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. The presence of these fighters has generated accusations of direct US intervention and has fueled the narrative of a hybrid war.

At the same time, Ukraine faces a payment of $1.951 billion to Gazprom for gas supplies. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller announced that the debt is due on June 16 and that, if unpaid, a prepayment system will be activated. Non-compliance would entail a five-year ban on entry to Russia.

On May 23, the Committee to Protect Journalists denounced the entry ban on several Russian journalists to Kiev, citing the need for transparency and the defense of press freedom.

On June 12, the Kremlin offered to deploy a peacekeeping contingent in eastern Ukraine, while the UN Security Council received a draft resolution on the Ukrainian situation. These moves indicate a possible escalation or, at least, a reconfiguration of international diplomacy.


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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (5716 replies).

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