Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko imposed martial law on eastern provinces, warned of full scale war with Russia and called yesterday for Nato naval protection of Ukrainian ports. European leaders, preoccupied with other major issues, rapidly adjusted to this reopened source of instability. Poroshenko has used martial law to capture international attention as G20 leaders meet in Argentina and EU foreign ministers consider their response next week. Poroshenko’s resort to martial law gives him profile as a war president while he tries to face down recurrent opposition from the same groups which mounted the Maidan revolt five years ago. European leaders should resist pressure to escalate this dispute.

Source: The Irish Times November 30, 2018 00:00 UTC