Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Ingo Mannteufel: Irreconcilable positions in Minsk
Expectations of the Minsk meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko were muted. Not just because the fighting in southeastern Ukraine has grown even fiercer over the past days, but also because Russia has continued to fuel the conflict. Moscow sent an alleged aid convoy to Luhansk without Ukrainian approval. Russian paratroopers crossed the border to Ukraine - allegedly by mistake. But first and foremost, expectations were low because the violent conflict is based on diametrically opposed views in Russia and Ukraine.