Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 26, 2014

Wide Gaps Remain As Putin And Poroshenko Discuss Ukraine Crisis -- Fred Weir, CSM

The two presidents, feeling pressure on both sides of the Ukrainian-Russian border, met on the sidelines of a regional summit today in Minsk.

Moscow — There was a tense handshake and a suggestion of future talks. But Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko's one-on-one face-off across a bargaining table in Minsk on Tuesday produced no deal to resolve the steadily worsening situation in Ukraine.

The Minsk meeting was originally intended as a venue for the Moscow-led Eurasian Customs Union, the European Union, and Ukraine to hash out their economic differences after Kiev opted to sign an association agreement with the EU. In a lengthy speech at the meeting, Mr. Putin warned that Ukraine will have to forgo its previous trade preferences with the Customs Union and accept that Moscow will erect tariff barriers against the expected flood of duty-free EU produce into Ukraine.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 26, 2014

Putin is key to avoiding a new cold war -- David Owen, The Guardian

Baltic Fears: NATO Debates Directing Missile Shield against Russia -- Spiegel Online

Finally a real cease-fire between Hamas and Israel? -- Christa Case Bryant, CSM

Gaza Ceasefire: What Did Israel Agree to? -- Haaretz/AFP

Gaza, Victim of History -- Jean-Pierre Filiu, NYT

Forgotten in Iraq: Besieged City Faces Destruction by the Islamic State -- Christoph Reuter and Jacob Russell, Spiegel Online

US spy flights over Syria: Preparing for airstrikes on the Islamic State? -- Anna Mulrine, CSM

Will US work with Syria's Assad as Islamic State makes gains? -- Nicholas Blanford, CSM

The Grotesque Alliance That Has been Allowed To Carve Up Syria -- David Blair, Telegraph

Don't Cooperate with Assad -- Michael J. Totten, World Crunch

Behind Libya raids, a newfound Emirati assertiveness -- Ian Black, The Hindu

This month’s ultimate enemy — the Islamic State -- Jack Shafer, Reuters

Is the Islamic State Beating Al-Qaida? -- Interview Conducted By Samiha Shafy, Spiegel Online

Lady al Qaeda: The World's Most Wanted Woman -- Shane Harris, Foreign Policy

After decades of stalling, a day of reckoning for France -- Jonathan Fenby, Financial Times

U.S. Can’t Retreat and Still Call the Shots -- Max Boot, Commentary

Kissinger's Counsel -- Jacob Heilbrunn, National Interest