U.S. General Says Ukraine Truce 'a Cease-Fire in Name Only'

U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said at a news conference that the two-week-old truce between Ukraine and pro-Russian militants fighting in the country's east is a "cease-fire in name only" and that it is nearly impossible to determine how many Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine.

Censor.NET reports about this, citing The Wall Street Journal. The general spoke after meeting with NATO military chiefs on Saturday and said he was hopeful about the agreement creating a buffer zone between Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces.

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"So the situation in Ukraine is not good right now," he said. "Basically we have a cease - fire in name only." He said violence in Ukraine, including the number of artillery rounds fired in the past few days, is as high as before the cease - fire.

Gen. Breedlove said Russian forces are still operating inside eastern Ukraine, but numbers cannot be pinpointed. "Right now the border is being maintained open by Russian forces and Russian-backed forces, and the fluidity of movement of Russian forces and Russian-backed forces back and forth across that border makes it almost impossible to understand the numbers," he said.

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The general said it is clear the number of Russian troops in Ukraine has declined significantly over the past week or so, with some returning to the Russian side of the border, "which is good, except that they haven't returned home and are still available to bring their military force to bear on Ukraine, should it be desired" by Russian government leaders.

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Gen. Breedlove said the Vilnius meeting discussed the proposed creation of a new rapid reaction corps that could deploy several thousand allied combat troops on short notice anywhere in Eastern Europe. The plan, announced in its broad outlines at a NATO summit meeting earlier this month in Wales, is part of the West's response to Russia's recent moves against Ukraine.

Basic details, however, such as how troop contributions to the force would be shared by individual NATO member countries have yet to be worked out.