Humanitarian crisis growing in Ukraine amid civilian mass exodus

ALISON STEWART, PBS ANCHOR:

As we reported earlier, world leaders have been meeting to try to end the fighting in Eastern Ukraine.

For more on the situation on the ground in Ukraine, we are joined now via Skype from Donetsk by Peter Leonard, who is reporting there for the "Associated Press".

Peter, one of the more striking events that's happened recently is in the small down of — and I'm going to try to say this correctly — Debaltseve, is that the fighting ceased for a short period of time so that civilians could evacuate. Both sides stopped fighting.

First of all, what's the significance of this town, and why stop the fighting?

PETER LEONARD, ASSOCIATED PRESS:

Well, to begin with, the significance of the town is essentially is it lies along a railway line that connects the two main rebel cities. And so, if these rebel territories are ever to be economically sustainable and to exist as independent entities as they would like, they really have to have all of the trappings of an act for a functional state, which is to say a transportation infrastructure and various other kind of industrial concerns. And so, this is why the rebel offensive has concentrated so much on capturing this city.

Now, in what came as a clearly unusual development, the Ukrainian and the rebel side agreed to suspend hostilities for a few hours yesterday so that the civilians who have remained in the city could be evacuated. The town, I should say, has been on the receiving end of sustained shelling for several months now, but especially intensive shelling for the last couple of weeks.

ALISON STEWART:

The humanitarian crisis is growing. About a million people are displaced at this point. Is there anything being done on the ground to address this crisis?

PETER LEONARD:

In fact, the number of displaced people is actually a higher than just a million. It's now about a million within Ukrainian itself, and another 600,000, according to U.N. figures, who have left the country, mostly to Russia. And as I say, the efforts are mainly concentrated on resettling those people who have sought shelter in safer areas, although — I mean, as far as Ukraine is concerned, with the disastrous state of its economy it's really sort of straining to support this huge displacement of people.

Russia, clearly, has greater resources in that respect.

ALISON STEWART:

And what is the situation in Donetsk where you are?

PETER LEONARD:

I mean, it varies from day to day, and even talking to you, from time to time I hear sounds of outgoing shelling. So, it's — the fighting is still very close to the city indeed.

ALISON STEWART:

Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, has she does not believe this will end via military lines. Whereas, the United States is considering sending weapons to the Ukrainian supporters. Why the difference in opinion between the U.S. and Europe?

PETER LEONARD:

Well, you know — I mean, the thing is I suppose Europe feels like it has a rather greater stake in the whole situation. I mean, Ukraine is right on its doorstep and I think that it feels as though European leaders would rather this whole problem went away. I mean, with Greece on the stake — I think it probably — it's got more than enough to deal with.

The United States has been very supportive of the government that came in after the revolution last year, and I think it feels as though the possibility, the kind of the dangling of potential military support in the month to come is — I suppose Washington considers to be a continuation of its support for this very strongly pro-Western government.

ALISON STEWART:

Peter Leonard reporting for the "Associated Press" — thank you so much. And please be safe.

PETER LEONARD:

Will do. Thank you very much.