Ukraine's parliament, the Rada, gave its preliminary approval to a set of constitutional amendments that would grant special status for the oblasts of the Donbas Oblast, and, it is hoped, end the rebellion that has rocked Ukraine's eastern provinces since February of last year. Progress toward a peaceful settlement along the lines set out by the Minsk II accord has been slow in coming, thanks in equal parts to Kiev's foot-dragging, Russia's regional ambitions and the fiercely independent streak that runs deep in Ukraine's eastern oblasts.
The Hill: Kyiv and the rebels agree that Ukraine divided cannot stand
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko urges parliament to approve constitutional amendments to give more power and functions to regional and local governments on July 16 in the Verkhovna Rada.
