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GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA Merkel has pushed a new peace bid to end the Ukraine conflict, warning that sending weapons to government forces fighting pro-Russian rebels would not stop the bloodshed.
Fresh from overnight talks in Moscow with French President Francois Hollande to thrash out a new peace plan, Merkel said success was far from assured but it was essential to try.
“It is uncertain whether it will lead to success but from my point of view and that of the French president it is definitely worth trying,” she told the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
“I believe we owe that much to those who are affected in Ukraine.”
Europe had had enough of war, the chancellor said, blaming Russia for breaching the international norms which had preserved peace in Europe for so many years.
Hollande for his part said that the Franco-German plan was “one of the last chances” to stop the 10-month-old conflict that has claimed some 5,400 lives.
“If we fail to find a lasting peace agreement, we know the scenario perfectly well — it has a name, it is called war,” he said.
Time is pressing to find a solution to the crisis before it turns into a major East-West confrontation, as recent gains by the Russian-backed and increasingly well-armed rebels drive calls for the West to supply weapons to Kiev.
Supporters in Washington argue Western sanctions have failed to get Russia to reverse course in a conflict, so the time has come to take the gloves off.
But Merkel rejected that idea outright as dangerously unrealistic and unlikely to impress Putin.
“I can’t conceive of a situation where better armaments for the Ukrainian army so impress President Putin that he believes he will militarily lose. I have to be that blunt,” she said.
“I am of the firm conviction that there is no military solution to the conflict.”
Merkel was due later Saturday to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry, his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and US Vice-President Joe Biden.
The meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference will focus on a new blueprint agreed in overnight talks in Moscow between President Vladimir Putin, Merkel and Hollande.
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3G patchy, 4G almost non existent around Ireland al least. Let’s start on 5G!
So Should I upgrade my iPhone 4 yet or wait?
Your iPhone 4 doesn’t support 4G, so it will only work on 2G and 3G networks. So your phone is behind already
Upgrade to an iphone 7 and to hell with everyone else.
I know its old! What I don’t know is if its better to upgrade now or wait
Your device is capable of a theoretical speed 42.3Mbps so it’s still very good as long as you are near a tower. So really you can make do with your iPhone 4!
Was in the US recently and discovered my iPhone 4 has 4G. Forgot to turn off data and cost me a fortune in 15 secs :-(
Viking this is probably not the case.. Some of the operators advertise their UMTS networks as ’4G’ even though they are 3G. They do this because no one owns the terms ’4G’ or ’3G’ and simply renaming their 3G network as ’4G’ gives the perception that their network is more advanced that their competitors. That’s America for you!
Somebody give that poor man a simple yes or no answer!
Im going to start working on 11G now, by the time they get there Ill probably have invented it and ill be rich!
Start at 1H, totally take everyone by surprise.
3G , 4G …. 5G …..
Could someone please explain these terms in English.
Is this just another way to get more money out of us consumers or are there real benefits to society?
Each is a generation. One generation is an technological evolution of the other. The higher the number, the faster the internet on your phone.
The higher the number the bigger the tumour..
Doesn’t matter a shite when you still can’t get even 2G in certain parts of rural Ireland.
The higher the number, the more you have to pay to use it!!!
It has a lot to do with the consumer product cycle. Just about the time your phone stops holding a battery charge, they develop a new “network technology” so you will buy a new phone to go with the new network and the new contract with your provider that includes a new price.
I still have an old Motorola phone bought in China for 5quid that still works–and it goes a week between charging! Of course, I can’t tweet or update my FB…life’s critical elements are therefore beyond my reach when driving.
I’d settle for a signal 3 are a disaster, now they have 02, will 3 get better or 02 worse ?
We haven’t got 4G yet and no idea when we will.
We do have 4G, it is live.
I think I can live without the power of the xG network.
5g cant even get 2g ffs
Is there a network that uses Henry McG….?
have your say