VIDEO: Fighting in Debaltsevo threatens ceasefire in Ukraine

"There is still time to save the Minsk Agreements," Vedomosti writes, citing political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov. According to Lukyanov, everyone understands that the situation in Debaltsevo has particular characteristics and that the leaders were not able to reach an agreement on it in Minsk. Unfortunately, it partly resembles the earlier situation at Donetsk airport, when fighting for control of the airport led to the failure of the first Minsk Agreements signed in September.

"The time left is not great and if the situation in Debaltsevo is not, in one way or another, resolved by the end of this week or the beginning of the following one, this may have dangerous consequences for the fate of the peace agreements," said Lukyanov.

 

Putin finds an ally in Europe

The centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper reports on Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Budapest, where he held talks with Prime Minister Victor Orban and President Janos Ader. In relation to the unpredictability of world energy prices, Budapest is trying to sign a "maximally flexible contract" with Moscow, according to Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

Director of the European Security Department at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Europe Dmitry Danilov told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that it is doubtful that Russia is trying to form a "fifth column" within the EU with Hungary's assistance.

"Even though it was possible for the EU to agree on a common anti-Russian political platform immediately after the annexation of Crimea, later it became clear that there are different national interests," said Danilov. Danilov believes that while Germany, for example, is willing to bear the costs related to the sanctions policy, Hungary, whose economy is dependent on the Russian market, cannot.

 

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