Ukrainian cease fire holds - for now.

The Ukrainian govt and Rebels from Luhansk and Donetsk Provinces (Oblasts) have agreed on a cease fire and a potential peace plan. AS a part of this plan, artillery was to be withdrawn about 15 miles from a demarcation line. The potential peace plan sounds good: a very substantial autonomy and language rights for the Russians of the two Oblasts. In case you wonder what brought this turn of events about, there are two factors: 1. about 70% of Ukraine's military equipment was destroyed and 2.the more Ukrainian troops were put in, the more Russian fighters  came across.


Western powers have wisely refused to contribute to the slaughter by giving the Ukraine govt more weapons, so the Ukrainian govt decided to do what it should have done in the first place: negotiate.


The question now is: will the Rebels cooperate? A lot of damage was done to Luhansk ond Donetsk:


http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2014/09/pictures-destruction-ukraine-lu-201492191355629570.html


A lot of wounds need to heal, a lot of destruction needs to be rebuilt. And the neighbors of Russia need to give up the idea of stripping the Russians left in their territories of language and cultural rights. President Putin's boast of being able to invade five neighbors in two weeks (or was it two days?) is a warning that should betaken seriously and responded to approprietly. No more saber rattling! How about a peace offensive?