"Natalia Antelava reports from both sides of the ceasefire line on whether the fighting has stopped and what hope there is for a lasting peace."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05rdf2d/our-world-ukraines-fragile-ceasefire
"What makes the ceasefire so fragile is that it's based on the premise Russia is neutral in this conflict"
The occupied territories will not be incorporated into Russia any time soon because of the huge cost of subsidising the LNR and DNR. According to some experts the figure could be over 10 billion dollars p.a. - and Putin is simply not prepared to pay this. Furthermore annexation of these territories would also aggravate the crisis in Russia's relations with the West to even greater depths.
On the other hand no Ukrainian politician will agree to prop up these separatist regions financially unless there are blue and yellow flags flying over their city halls..
As the weeks pass residents of Donbas are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. There are reports of elderly people dying of hunger in the occupied territories. Even basic medicines are in desperately short supply.
'Segodnya' compares prices of basic foodstuffs in Donetsk and Mariupol - in Donetsk the price for a typical family food basket is currently about a third higher than in Mariupol.
The future for those living in separatist/Russian held territories looks very grim..
Does anyone seriously think further fighting will make things better?
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