Video conference between kiev and separatists failed to materialize
According to the OSCE, the separatists do not want to negotiate, while they do not want to be asked, kiev demands more support from the EU against russia
Yesterday, the OSCE reported that the intention of ukraine, france, germany and russia to restart talks on ceasefire between representatives of separatists and the trilateral contact group, agreed on monday during a telephone conference, had not led to any result. The video conference was suggested by merkel and putin when they met in rio de janeiro.
OSCE chairman didier burkhalter, together with russian foreign minister lavrov and his ukrainian counterpart klimkin, decided to contact the separatists for new negotiations.
The OSCE declared that all the "necessary efforts" for a resumption of negotiations with the separatists, but it was "unfortunate" no video conference was held yesterday. The contact group is "seriously concerned", because since 27. June no more conversations have taken place: "in the opinion of the contact group, this indicates a lack of will on the part of the separatists to engage in substantive talks on a mutually recognized ceasefire."
The contact group calls on the separatists to resume talks immediately. A ceasefire must include effective border control, the release of all hostages, and the start of a dialogue involving all parties. The video conference was decided as a first step because the meeting of the contact group in donetsk or lugansk is not possible due to the fighting, but the separatists do not want to leave the territory under their control in order not to be detained.
The separatists from "new russia", the unification of "people’s republics" donetsk and lugansk, but, as reported by the russian news agency ria novosti, they said they had not received any invitations to participate in the video conference. The only way to find out about them was through the internet. A spokesman repeated the already familiar demand that the talks would be resumed in principle once the ukrainian troops had been withdrawn. "At the moment the ukrainian troops are right in front of donetsk and lugansk and are bombarding our cities. We have many dead among the civilian inhabitants", says the speaker.
It is difficult to say which side to believe. Neither the separatists nor the ukrainian government really want talks. Criticism of germany and france, which have increased prere on kiev, is becoming stronger in ukraine. There, on the other hand, further sanctions against russia and unconditional solidarity with kiev and the militaristic "anti-terrorist operation" currently in full swing again, and the number of civilian casualties is rising. Attacks are carried out with warplanes and artillery. Meanwhile, russia and ukraine are accusing each other of describing the other side.
U.S. President obama had already called on the EU to strengthen sanctions ahead of today’s summit, saying russia was showing no real de-escalation efforts, although moscow was trying to get negotiations on a mutual cease-fire going. The EU is torn on this ie. Ukrainian president poroshenko yesterday demanded a "strong support" by the EU. "The ukrainian people have paid a very high price for their pro-european decision", he said, in order to hold the EU accountable.
Moreover, moscow had asked for OSCE observers after the allegations that weapons and soldiers/soldiers are being sent across the border. Today three OSCE observers are to start their service at russian border points. Kiev does not like this either. The ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs criticized that it was a "provocation", when the observers were deployed only at the russian border points. This was the international community "the real situation on the border" exchange and "discredit the efforts of the ukrainian government". This is a strange argumentation, after all the OSCE observer mission was an offer of russia to ukraine, ukraine could have joined and asked for observers on the ukrainian side as well.
