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Ukraine peace talks resume

Troop withdrawals and humanitarian aid are expected to be points of discussion.

By Ed Adamczyk
A rally at Independence Square in Kiev on November 21, 2014 marked the one-year anniversary of the fall of Ukraine's pro-Russian government. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko
A rally at Independence Square in Kiev on November 21, 2014 marked the one-year anniversary of the fall of Ukraine's pro-Russian government. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

MINSK, Belarus, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Delayed negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict resumed Wednesday in Minsk, Belarus.

A ceasefire and framework for a peace agreement were resolved in September but were not observed. The current round of talks is expected to concentrate on humanitarian aid, prisoner exchanges and troop withdrawals, and representatives of Ukraine, Russia and pro-Russian rebels are in attendance, as is the monitoring group Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

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Speaking to his government's cabinet Wednesday, Ukranian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk recommended rebels implement the protocols thus far agreed upon, saying, "It is important to fulfill the Minsk agreements. There (the current negotiation) the meeting of the contact group is taking place. But contacts are not important. What is important are decisions. They should let in our humanitarian aid (in the area of conflict in eastern Ukraine), implement the Minsk protocols, leave Ukrainian soil, and step-by-step we will stabilize the situation in the country."

Tuesday the Ukrainian Parliament overwhelmingly voted to abandon the country's official non-aligned status and pursue full European Union membership, and eventual NATO membership. The 303 to 8 vote reflected Ukraine's new pro-Western orientation, and angered Russia; the Russian Foreign Ministry called the vote "counterproductive" and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev noted Ukraine's inclusion in NATO could make the country "a potential military adversary of Russia."

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