BALTIMORE, Maryland April 17, 2014 - The so-called four party talks vetting the Ukraine situation and looking, supposedly, for peaceful solutions, were held today in Geneva, Switzerland. The United States, the EU, Russia and the Ukraine all sat at one square table. ABC News reported that the four sides are attempting to hammer out a joint statement about the talks, and this might be a stroke of genius. If all four can agree on anything it'd be a step forward. Meanwhile, three separatists were killed in the town of Maiupol after gunfire broke out between Ukrainian Military Units and Pro-Russian Separatists working with Russian Military Operatives. Ukrainian Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a Facebook post that 13 other people were wounded in the skirmish. He also said 63 separatists were "detained."
USA Today, meanwhile, has reported that the so-called Peoples Republic of Donetsk, a breakaway Republic declared by Separatists in Eastern Ukraine, has begun handing out leaflets that purport to Order Jewish people to register with the new government. Jewish folk leaving a Synagogue in Donetsk were handed the leaflet this week. A leader of the Separatists whose name is on the leaflet admitted his group printed and distributed the document, but disavowed its content. The Separatist whose name is on the leaflet and admits he is one of the leaders of the so-called People's Republic is Denis Pushilin. He said he is chairman of the new temporary government of the People's Republic.
The leaflet instructs all Jewish people to go to an administration building occupied by Separatists, and there, be prepared to give over to the new government "ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles." There will be a registration fee that is equivalent to $50.
USA Today said the document came into its possession after a Jewish person in Donetsk sent a copy to a friend in Israel via Facebook, and that person forwarded it to USA Today. Jews who refuse to do as the leaflet instructed risk having their citizenship revoked and face deportation. They will also have all of their assets confiscated. The reason that this step is taken for Jewish persons, Pushlin said, is because the leaders of the Jewish community of Ukraine supported Bendery Junta, a reference to Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement that fought for Ukrainian independence at the end of World War II, "and oppose the pro-Slavic People's Republic of Donetsk," a name adopted by the militant leadership.
The BBC has an outstanding page devoted to the situation in Eastern Ukraine, including a large map with the cities identified where buildings have been occupied. See this page at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27012612.
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