Poroshenko warns of 'colossal threat' of new Ukraine fighting

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned June 4 of the "colossal threat" of a resumption of major clashes in eastern Ukraine where at least 24 people have died in renewed fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels.

Fresh clashes erupted near the rebel stronghold of Donetsk on June 3, reviving fears in Kiev that the separatists may be gearing up for a new push into government-controlled territory, four months after agreeing to a truce.
 
"There remains a colossal threat of resumption of large-scale fighting on the part of Russian terrorist groups," Poroshenko said in his annual address to parliament, referring to the insurgents.
 
Poroshenko alleged that more than 9,000 Russian soldiers were now in east Ukraine, to support the rebellion.
 
The EU expressed alarm over the escalation, calling it "the most serious violation" yet of the February ceasefire.
 
The Kremlin accused Kiev of seeking to torpedo the truce ahead of an EU summit in June which will discuss whether to extend sanctions against Russia set to expire in July.
 
"No doubt these provocations are being organised by the Ukrainian army," Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
 
"We are seriously worried by this indeed."  

The hot-button issue of Russian sanctions is also expected to come up at a Group of Seven summit in Germany this weekend.
 
The United States, which has also hit Moscow with stinging sanctions, said it was disturbed by the new clashes, warning that if the crisis escalated Moscow would face punishment.
 
A senior separatist commander, Eduard Basurin, told AFP that 14 rebels and five civilians had died over the past 24 hours.
 
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