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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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| Information | | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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08Feb15
4-way summit on Ukraine crisis could herald breakthrough on peace deal
A peace proposal for Ukraine edged toward a possible breakthrough as the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine agreed Sunday to a joint summit alongside representatives of the pro-Moscow separatists who have waged a bloody campaign in the Ukrainian east.
The four leaders agreed to the proposed summit -- scheduled for Wednesday in the Belarus capital, Minsk -- during a four-way phone call Sunday. The success of the summit, however, still appeared to hinge on further diplomatic talks Monday in Berlin, aimed at laying the groundwork for a "comprehensive settlement" of the crisis in Ukraine, where fighting has steadily worsened.
The German government announced the summit plans on the heels of whirlwind visits last week to Kiev and Moscow by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande, who have launched a high-stakes diplomatic push to end an escalation of the fighting, as well as to resolve a growing standoff between the West and Russia. European and U.S. governments have accused Moscow of subterfuge for denying its involvement in Ukraine even as they cite conclusive intelligence indicating that both Russian weapons and disguised troops are fighting in Ukraine's restive east.
The summit details came together, according to Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, after the phone call Sunday resulted in further "work on a package of measures" aimed at a settlement.
Nevertheless, serious skepticism remained that any deal, if reached, would be adhered to by Moscow and the separatists. An agreement reached in Minsk last September, which aimed to create a demilitarized zone and more autonomy for the rebel-held lands, was routinely violated before largely breaking down in recent weeks.
Speaking in the Russian resort town of Sochi, Russian President Vladi-mir Putin offered a qualified confirmation of the summit plans, saying the meeting would go ahead "if, by then, we have agreed upon a number of positions that were a subject of our intense discussions recently." Those issues appear to include whether the recent land gains made by separatists would be recognized.
The summit plans came as the Ukraine crisis dominated a major security summit in Munich that drew top policymakers from all sides of the conflict. On Sunday here, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) underscored the festering divisions over how to handle the crisis -- both in Washington and across the Atlantic -- by reiterating calls for the West to supply Kiev with defensive arms. A host of Europeans, led by Merkel, have denounced the notion as merely a way to ensure that the conflict escalates.
"The question is, how long can Putin sustain a war he tells his people is not happening?" McCain said in a speech. "That's why we must provide defensive arms to Ukraine."
Speaking in Munich on Sunday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed caution about the summit's chances of success and criticized proposals to provide weapons to Kiev.
"Even after this weekend of intense negotiations, we are far away from a political solution of the Ukraine conflict," he said. 'Therefore it is right to consider the various courses of actions and to carefully weigh them against each other. Some see supplying weapons to Ukraine as a kind of targeted counter-escalation -- as a viable, even necessary option. I don't only consider it very risky, but also counterproductive."
In a speech delivered immediately before McCain's, and shortly before he left for Washington, Secretary of State John F. Kerry seemed to support the German view, saying that there is no military solution to the fighting and denying any rift between the United States and Europe over how to respond to Russia's support of the separatists.
"There is no division. There is no split," he said. "I keep hearing people trying to create one. We are working closely together. We all agree this challenge will not end through military force."
"I assure you," he added, "no matter what, we will stand together in support of Ukraine and in defense of the common understanding that international borders must not, cannot, be changed by force, in Europe or anywhere else."
The Obama administration has been reluctant to send lethal weaponry to Kiev, but now it is under pressure from Congress to reverse that policy. McCain, the organizer of the bilateral delegation of 15 senators and House members attending the Munich Security Conference, in effect rebutted Kerry by arguing that the West must help Ukraine defend itself and raise the war's cost to Putin.
[Source: By Anthony Faiola and Carol Morello, The Washington Post, Munich, 08Feb15]
 | This document has been published on 09Feb15 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |