A convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian supplies to those living in war-torn eastern Ukraine crossed the border back into Russia on Saturday following what Moscow called a “successful” mission to deliver the aid, but what Ukraine called a “direct invasion” of its territory.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has been monitoring movements across the border, confirmed in a statement that all 227 vehicles had left Ukraine and crossed back into Russia.
The Washington Post was reporting that Ukrainian Army officials claimed the returning trucks were carrying military supplies, but the OSCE statement notes that all the trucks returned with the “rear cargo tailgate open” and made no mention of any such cargo.
The nearly 200 supply trucks delivered food, water, medicine and other life-saving supplies to the people of Luhansk and Donestk, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry which had said it was no longer willing to hold the supplies while people suffered under a military “siege” enforced by the Ukraine Army.
Siding with the government in Kiev, both U.S. and NATO officials characterized the movement of the convoy over the border on Friday as a “violation” and warned Moscow of possible consequences for the move.
According to the New York Times on Saturday:
However, as an analysis on Common Dreams by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern on Saturday points out, the responses from the West—including messages that came out of the White House on Friday—carry their own risk of further escalating the conflict in Ukraine. According to McGovern:
But even as the trucks returned to Russia, McGovern acknowledged, it’s possible that some key dynamics in the ongoing conflict have begun to shift. He writes:
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Poroshenko in Kiev on Saturday where she expressed her position that the border between Russia and eastern Ukraine must be tightened if a peace agreement was to be reached.
“There must be two sides to be successful. You cannot achieve peace on your own. I hope the talks with Russia will lead to success,” Merkel said, making reference to next week’s meeting between Putin and the Ukraine president.
Regarding the aid convoy itself, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports:
And the Guardian adds: