Germany: Top-level talks on Ukraine peace resuming in Minsk
Source: AP
BERLIN (AP) -- Germany's Foreign Ministry says talks between senior officials from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine to pave the way for a summit of leaders in Minsk will resume in the Belarusian capital.
The ministry says that officials from the four countries will meet again in Minsk Tuesday evening, following a meeting in Berlin until late Monday night. They will try to iron out differences so that the leaders of the four countries can meet in the Belarusian capital to seek a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine crisis.
The ministry says Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke by phone with both Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin on Tuesday afternoon to push for compromises on difficult issues that remain open.
Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_UKRAINE_?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-10-09-51-10
bemildred
(90,061 posts)MOSCOW (Reuters) - Talks on how to resolve a conflict in Ukraine will focus on withdrawing heavy weapons, creating a demilitarised zone in eastern Ukraine and starting a dialogue between Kiev and the rebels, Russia's RIA news agency quoted a source as saying on Tuesday.
The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine are due to meet in the Belarussian capital Minsk on Wednesday to try to end almost a year of fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists in which more than 5,000 people have died.
RIA quoted a source in Minsk as suggesting that the main sticking point would be the demilitarised zone. Europe's security watchdog, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), France and Germany want Russia to oversee it.
https://in.news.yahoo.com/minsk-talks-focus-demilitarised-zone-east-ukraine-ria-145757012.html
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain has a warning for President Barack Obama: not arming Ukraine against Vladimir Putins Russia will go down as a shameful moment in U.S. history.
During an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity Monday night, McCain pounced on Obamas foreign policy, slamming the presidents handling of the Ukraine/Russia conflict while lashing out at his hypocrisy regarding the United States relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Arizona senator called Obamas decision not to arm the Ukrainians a shameful chapter in American history, while chiding Germany and France as well for not doing so.
5,000 Ukrainians have been murdered, the first time since the end of World War II that one country has dismembered a nation, in Europe and to not give them weapons to defend themselves will go down as one of the shameful chapters in American history, McCain continued, and the chancellor of Germany and the president of France, dont surprise me, but they should be ashamed too.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/10/mccain-not-arming-ukraine-will-go-down-as-a-shameful-chapter-in-us-history/
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Today the whole world will anxiously await news from Minsk, where the "Normandy Four" Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France will try to reach a second agreement, a sort of "Minsk II" settlement to stop the war in eastern and southern Ukraine. The United States will not take part, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Monday to clarify his position.
The U.S. and the European Union have differences of opinion regarding the Ukrainian crisis, although publicly they deny any rift in their underlying unity.
The Europeans are categorically opposed to, and fear, any expansion of war in Europe and they are striving to find a political solution to the crisis as quickly as possible. Britain, along with the rest of Europe, therefore openly opposes the direct provision of lethal weapons to Kiev. They are concerned that it would escalate the conflict and result in more deaths among soldiers and civilians in Ukraine.
Merkel said that after her meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, she understood that Russia would not, under any circumstances, permit the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics to suffer military defeat. Europe advocates diplomatic dialogue with Moscow and the continued use of sanctions as a non-military and effective approach, and as the only acceptable way to influence Moscow.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/russia-must-forget-yalta-and-face-facts-in-minsk/515702.html
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Government forces and Russian-backed rebels both claim to have made gains in eastern Ukraine this week, as the fighting rages on a day ahead of urgent peace talks.
The Ukrainian military announced that it has driven out rebels from several villages northeast of the strategic port of Mariupol, pushing them closer to the border with Russia. Meanwhile, the rebels say they have encircled the town of Debaltseve. The key transportation hub has been the focus of intense fighting for more than a week.
While each side disputes the others claims of advance, there is no doubt that the violence gripping eastern Ukraine has heightened in recent weeks. The intense fighting, which the United Nations says has killed more than 5,300 people since April 2014, raises the stakes for the peace talks that are expected to take place Wednesday.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/terrorism-security/2015/0210/Kiev-rebels-both-claim-gains-on-eve-of-Ukraine-peace-talks
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Feb 10 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier phoned his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts on Tuesday urging them to be ready to compromise on difficult open questions, a day ahead of a summit of Russian, French, German and Ukrainian leaders on the Ukraine crisis.
The German foreign ministry said talks between high ranking officials of the four countries held in Berlin yesterday would continue in Minsk, the capital of Belarus on Tuesday night, and Steinmeier had informed Russia's Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine's Pavlo Klimkin of progress made so far. (Reporting by Alexandra Hudson)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/10/ukraine-crisis-talks-idUSL5N0VK3SS20150210?rpc=401
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Feb 10 (Reuters) - The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine plan to hold a summit on the Ukraine crisis in the Belarussian capital of Minsk on Wednesday. Here is an outline of the sides' positions before the meeting.
MINSK PROTOCOL
The four sides say any agreement must be based on an agreement reached in Minsk by the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russian separatists they are fighting on Sept. 5 last year. The main points of the 12-point Minsk Protocol, which has failed to go into full force, are:
- An immediate bilateral ceasefire
- Withdrawal of illegal armed groups and military equipment as well as fighters and mercenaries from Ukraine
http://www.trust.org/item/20150210133243-0ljc1/
OverseaVisitor
(296 posts)......
bemildred
(90,061 posts)I have been annoyed with her "reluctance" to get involved, but she seems to be stepping up, and nobody else can do it. And she better get it right. It's going to be a bleeding wound right there on her doorstep if she doesn't.
OverseaVisitor
(296 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)Ruslan Kotsaba posted a video addressed to the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, last week in which he said he would rather go to prison for five years for draft-dodging than fight pro-Russia rebels in the countrys east. Now he faces 15 years in jail after being arrested for treason and obstructing the military.
His case is symptomatic of Kievs difficulties in mobilising a war-weary society to continue the fight against the rebels, who appear to have an unlimited supply of weapons and training from Russia. As the country nears bankruptcy and the reform programme demanded by the Maidan revolution last year is sidelined by the war effort, the drive to call up new recruits is floundering.
The conflict has cost more than 5,000 lives since it began last spring and Russia shows no signs of toning down its backing for the separatist movement. Poroshenko is due to meet his Russian, French and German counterparts in Minsk on Wednesday, and the financial and emotional burden of months of conflict could mean Ukraine is forced to accept a deal that effectively gives up control of rebel-held territory.
Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription and 75,000 have been called up, of whom 60% will enter service, Poroshenko claimed last week. Preference is given to men with military experience.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/10/ukraine-draft-dodgers-jail-kiev-struggle-new-fighters
bemildred
(90,061 posts)To be honest, I do not believe that a military conflict like the one that has continued for almost a year in Ukraine can be halted through exhortations, persuasion or international agreements.
Russian President Vladimir Putin would only agree to a settlement in order to end the rapid depletion of Russia's financial resources as it fights a so-called "hybrid war."
But the problem goes beyond money: Several years ago Moscow reorganized its armed forces such that it is now extremely difficult to fight a protracted military conflict of the ordinary type.
Ekho Moskvy radio recently cited Tajik media in reporting that about 3,000 Russian soldiers at the 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan would be deployed to the Ukrainian border, with additional troops to come from the Tajik population.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/russian-army-facing-big-problems-in-ukraine/515636.html
bemildred
(90,061 posts)WASHINGTON (AP) -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (por-oh-SHEHN'-koh) is updating President Barack Obama about a new round of peace talks aimed at securing a cease-fire with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Obama and Poroshenko spoke by phone on Tuesday, just as Obama is weighing sending lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine's military. On Monday, Obama discussed the issue at the White House with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (AHN'-geh-lah MEHR'-kuhl), who opposes sending lethal aid to Ukraine and is spearheading the peace talks in Minsk.
The White House isn't saying whether Obama discussed lethal aid with Poroshenko. A White House statement describing the phone call says only that Obama committed to providing financial support for Ukraine.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_UKRAINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-10-12-02-35
bemildred
(90,061 posts)The British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, has defended the government against accusations that it has taken a back seat in negotiations with Russia to find a solution to the crisis in Ukraine.
He told MPs in the Commons the governments policy was to provide non-lethal assistance to Ukraine and that the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was best placed to engage in negotiations with the Kremlin.
He added that the UK had played a leading role in designing sanctions packages and identifying the individuals, companies and sectors targeted by those sanctions.
The shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, asked Hammond to explain why the UK had chosen to take such a back seat in the negotiations, citing comments made last week by General Sir Richard Shirreff Britains highest-ranking Nato commander until last year that David Cameron was a diplomatic irrelevance.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/10/uk-government-defends-role-in-ukraine-russia-crisis
bemildred
(90,061 posts)German Chancellor Angela Merkel, accompanied by French President Francois Hollande, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 6. Then she met with U.S. President Barack Obama on Feb. 9. The primary subject was Ukraine, but the first issue discussed at the news conference following the meeting with Obama was Greece. Greece and Ukraine are not linked in the American mind. They are linked in the German mind, because both are indicators of Germany's new role in the world and of Germany's discomfort with it.
It is interesting to consider how far Germany has come in a rather short time. When Merkel took office in 2005, she became chancellor of a Germany that was at peace, in a European Union that was united. Germany had put its demands behind it, embedding itself in a Europe where it could be both prosperous and free of the geopolitical burdens that had led it into such dark places. If not the memory, then the fear of Germany had subsided in Europe. The Soviet Union was gone, and Russia was in the process of trying to recover from the worst consequences of that collapse. The primary issue in the European Union was what hurdles nations, clamoring to enter the union, would have to overcome in order to become members. Germany was in a rare position, given its history. It was in a place of comfort, safety and international collegiality.
The world that Merkel faces today is startlingly different. The European Union is in a deep crisis. Many blame Germany for that crisis, arguing that its aggressive export policies and demands for austerity were self-serving and planted the seeds of the crisis. It is charged with having used the euro to serve its interests and with shaping EU policy to protect its own corporations. The vision of a benign Germany has evaporated in much of Europe, fairly or unfairly. In many places, old images of Germany have re-emerged, if not in the center of many countries then certainly on the growing margins. In a real if limited way, Germany has become the country that other Europeans fear. Few countries are clamoring for membership in the European Union, and current members have little appetite for expanding the bloc's boundaries.
At the same time, the peace that Germany had craved is in jeopardy. Events in Ukraine have aroused Russian fears of the West, and Russia has annexed Crimea and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Russia's actions have sparked the United States' fears of the re-emergence of a Russian hegemon, and the United States is discussing arming the Ukrainians and pre-positioning weapons for American troops in the Baltics, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. The Russians are predicting dire consequences, and some U.S. senators are wanting to arm the Ukrainians.
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article49382.html
bemildred
(90,061 posts)MOSCOW--Russian President Vladimir Putin is traveling to Minsk, Belarus later Wednesday to participate in a four-way summit aimed at reaching a cease-fire agreement on the fighting in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Talks between representatives of Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels fighting in the east of the country have been underway since late Tuesday in hopes of reaching a deal.
The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany had said they would attend a summit there later in the day if an agreement appeared close. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has confirmed he plans to attend. However, there has been no official word yet from Paris or Berlin.
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/russias-putin-will-attend-ukraine-peace-summit-in-minsk-kremlin-confirms-20150211-00096
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday any agreement on the conflict in Ukraine must protect the rights of all citizens living in the country.
At a joint news conference with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, Lavrov said the two ministers agreed that there could only be a political situation to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 5,000 people.
Lavrov also said Russia appreciated the "constructive" position of Greece in ties between Moscow and the European Union, which has imposed several waves of sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/11/ukraine-crisis-lavrov-greece-idUKR4N0QD07O20150211?rpc=401
bemildred
(90,061 posts)LISBON, Portugal Of course the warning had to come from the Germans.
With the two countries at loggerheads over Greeces economic program, it fell to German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen to voice the fears of many in NATO about the foreign policy goals of the new government in Athens.
Von der Leyen went as far as to suggest a new, more Russia-friendly stance could jeopardize Greeces position within the Western alliance.
Greece will have to shift. You can argue all the time about reform in Europe, but there can be no doubt we have to agree on fundamental values. Greece must not put at risk the trust in the reliability of its security policy that has been developed over decades, she told the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers on Thursday.
http://www.salon.com/2015/02/11/europes_other_greek_problem/
bemildred
(90,061 posts)An increase in violence between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed rebels on Tuesday underscored the dim prospects for reaching a lasting cease-fire as French, German, Ukrainian and Russian leaders head to Minsk on Wednesday in a renewed push for peace talks.
While a cease-fire seems desirable to all sides in a conflict that has killed upwards of 5,300 people since last April, and displaced more than 1 million people, according to United Nations figures, finding terms that are acceptable to the parties involved is likely to be difficult given the nearly impossible task of aligning Russian and Western strategic interests in Ukraine.
The September truce agreement, also brokered in the Belarusian capital, has been violated countless times by each side, most recently in particularly heavy fighting on Tuesday, which claimed at least 12 lives and wounded scores more.
But even as day-to-day violence has taken its toll upon ordinary Ukrainians since September, little appears to have significantly shifted the strategic calculus of external powers, suggesting any successes from the newest round of Minsk talks could prove elusive.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/10/despite-minsk-truce-talks-russia-shows-no-sign-of-letting-up.html