Pro-Russian Rebels Lower Demands in Peace Talks

[eridani]

If you want $3000 for your used car, you have to ask for $6000

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/25659-pro-russian-rebels-lower-demands-in-peace-talks

Pro-Russian rebels have reportedly softened their demand for full independence, saying they would respect Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for autonomy – a shift that reflects Moscow's desire to strike a deal at a new round of peace talks later this week that would allow Russia to avoid more punitive Western sanctions while preserving a significant degree of leverage over its neighbor.

The insurgents' demand, released at the start of Monday's negotiations in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, represented a significant change in their vision for the future of Ukraine's eastern, mainly Russian-speaking region.

It remains unclear, however, whether the talks can reach a compromise amid the brutal fighting that has continued in eastern Ukraine. On Monday, the rebels pushed Ukrainian government forces from an airport near Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city, the latest in a series of military gains.