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UKRAINIAN FORCES SUFFERED fresh losses today in a rebel raid in the separatist east as the newly-elected president promised to hold his first talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on easing the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War.
The volunteer National Guard said gunmen had sprung a surprise raid on their barracks in the flashpoint Lugansk region near Russia that had been under effective rebel control since early April.
“There have been losses both in the ranks of the military unit and the attacking side,” the National Guard said in a brief statement.
The militants’ strike came a day after Ukraine claimed to have regained control of the rust belt region’s main international airport in Donetsk after its most ferocious attack of the seven-week campaign which left more than 40 guerrillas dead.
Some analysts think Kiev has ratcheted up its offensive believing that the 40-point margin of Petro Poroshenko’s victory on Sunday will make it hard for Moscow to question his legitimacy and order its troops to “protect” the east’s ethnic Russians.
The Kremlin reaffirmed on Wednesday that it “respected” the will of Ukraine’s voters but also denounced the army’s “provocative” actions as another step toward strife and discontent.
“There can be no justification for the punitive operation being conducted by the Kiev authorities,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
But Poroshenko — a 48-year old confectionary tycoon who backs closer ties with Europe but once held a top cabinet post under ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych — said he would conduct direct negotiations with Putin soon.
“We will hold talks with Putin in order to ease the situation and make peace. When and where these talks will take place, is not yet decided,” he told Germany’s Bild daily.
The political veteran was responding to a question on whether talks with Putin were planned for next week’s D-Day commemorations in France to which both he and the Russian leader are invited.
The 6 June Normandy gathering will also be attended by US President Barack Obama, providing Western leaders with their first chance to speak to Putin since Europe’s worst security crisis in decades erupted in March with Russia’s seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.
Putin had rejected the legitimacy of the interim team that rose to power in February and not been reported to have spoken to any Ukrainian official since the Kiev uprising.
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High time but good to see nonetheless.
@ecrowley ecrowley: it’s a bog state, for a bog people.
@brian o’leary: The Bogside.
Bualadh bos. Should have been bilingual from day 1. Some unionists still needing to be dragged kicking toward equality.
@Anthony Curran: like the Israelis
@You Cant Be Serious: That’s antisemitic bro. Don’t you know that you can’t say anything negative about the genocidal maniacs or you’ll be labelled antisem…..oops, I did it again. Israeli shill pile on incoming!
@Anthony Curran: Even if they installed Scots Gaelic signage on display in Belfast some Unionists would still complain even though some of their fellow Unionist brethern are fluent Scots gallic speakers from places like Hebrides
So it should. It’s in OUR country.
@Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: I don’t understand. Northern Ireland is not part of this country?
@peter white: as long as Ireland is an Island it forever will be.
@peter white: last time i checked it was in Ireland
@Phillip Smyth: There is no rule of law written anywhere that says an island has to be one country . Infact if history had happened differently the island of Ireland today could be broken up into more than one country . Ireland before the Norman conquest of 1169 was not one country . It was an island divided up into 5 provinces that was broken up into 150 kingdoms . The 32 counties came about between the 13th and 17th centuries. Wicklow being the last county in 1608 . The ROI that exists today is a breakaway state of the UK that form its own government and became an independent 32 county Irish nation for the first time in the history of the island of Ireland. Ireland has only ever been one nation in what is the UK today .
@Jack Moss: there was still a high king over the 5 provinces
Wount be long now until we all on the one road
@Kevin O Brien: singing the same anthem Lol.
I don’t know why but I was thinking about Ian Paisley Snr when I read this and what his reaction would be, with him being so bitter, a poison chalice.
@Phillip Smyth: oh, the irony of a multi account troll calling a political figure that’s deceased over a decade ‘ bitter & poison ‘……. Hilarious, LOL
@Buster Lawless: I’m not a troll Buster!!!!
@Phillip Smyth: but if you’re not the real Buster you are.
@Phillip Smyth: the bog people have come along way since paisley’s day.
@brian o’leary: are you taking about Londonderry or Derry, or country folk.
@Phillip Smyth: talking
@Phillip Smyth: I think he was referring to all taig’s.
@brian o’leary: ethnic slurs.
@Buster Lawless: if you are the real Buster, you accused me of this in the past and then apologized do you remember.. if you do you remember speak now or forever hold your piece, ready and cocked.
I can see the local loyalists loving the new signs. There was torture when they pulled down King Billy’s bridge that he his horse shat on..
Signs heading towards south: “Welcome to Ireland. How’s it Going?” Signs heading elsewhere ‘Welcome to Norn Ireland. What about ya!”
@Larry Betts: Signs to Dublin . What’s the story .
@Jack Moss: Lol. I had that in my original draft,but then shortened it! “Welcome to Dublin. Wats da story. Hope yiz all have a blast,see ya around”
@Larry Betts: welcome to Cork boy.
I fear no problem with whatever language it is written in. I have skills in recognising and translating many foreign languages. My skills with the usage and intricacies of many different tongues have often led to me being lauded as an expert cunning linguist.
@Larry Betts: Maith a Fir.
I was up North last week…… Must say it’s a fantastic station, very well laid out.
Hope it is in English for us southerners.
@Sammydavissenior.: You mean Jackeens?
@Gaelactico: Jackeens & Bog warriors.
No point in having Irish luangage in a foreign country like the North its the UK and they live under the king.
@Rian O’Sullivan: it’s the island of Ireland separated, thank god we are surrounded by water like Trump said to Zelenskyy there is an ocean between us.
@Rian O’Sullivan:At least the ‘luangage’ they speak is different from the language our High Kings of Tara spoke. From the Royal county of Meath.
@Rian O’Sullivan: Rian ‘Traitor’ O Sullivan.
Tá sé in am don Ghaeilge sa tsaol oifigiúil agus gnó i dtuaisceart Éireann! Maith sibh!
as long as it does get compulsory people should have a choice.
Not sure many youngsters really care about having it in Irish too, it’s not spoken or understood by most even my age. But if it keeps the peace stick it up
@Derek O Gorman: Speak for yourself. Ní thuigeann tú.
” North of Ireland ” … one day , Ireland will be whole again . If our Orange brethren don’t like the idea , they’ll get used to it eventually.
Republic of Ireland citizens are trying to get exemptions from Irish in schools
If you have to do something you rebel against it ,if you don’t have something you rebel to get,human nature
I hope some of the locals don’t head to the nearby Indian restaurant and ask them to “curry my yoghurt”.
have your say