... levels. We have common interests – in trade or the fight against international terrorism. I am cautiously optimistic that our relations will improve again in the foreseeable future.
For that to happen, Moscow would have to be ready to implement the Minsk Agreements of 2015 to bring peace to Eastern Ukraine.
Have you read them?
A long time ago.
If you refresh your memory, you will see that Russia is not mentioned in the Agreements at all. It is up to the parties to the conflict – Kiev and Donbass ...
We need humanity, creativity and efficiency for Europe 3.0. South Tyrol Case for Donbass
Five years ago, in February 2015, the first steps towards a vision for peace in Ukraine were taken with the Minsk II agreement. Five years is a long time not only in human life, but also in European history: World War I only lasted four years, and World War II was only two years longer. Five years after Minsk, the crisis in and around Ukraine is yet to be resolved, and the country remains a bleeding wound of...
... this assumption, any further pressure on Zelenskiy would only make him weaker and could lead to the political resurgence of radical nationalist elements in Kiev. Thus, Moscow should support Zelenskiy and show maximum flexibility when it comes to the Minsk agreements and shows of good will. This could also mean making concessions on gas transit and restoring economic relations with Kiev.
The opposite view supposes that Ukraine’s political pendulum hasn’t reached its high point yet, and that the ...
Russia need not concern itself about a new security architecture in Europe: eventually, one will grow out of its ongoing confrontation with the United States, together with the combined impact of Moscow’s rapprochement with Beijing and the evolving rivalry between the United States and China.
Russia need not concern itself about a new security architecture in Europe: eventually, one will grow out of its ongoing confrontation with the United States, together with the combined impact of Moscow’s rapprochement...
... yet been set up and the positions of the new Ukrainian leaders are not yet clear-cut.
As for the Ukrainian settlement, to make progress it is only necessary to do one thing: fulfil UN Security Council Resolution № 2202 that unanimously endorsed the Minsk agreements that describe in no uncertain terms what actions the parties of the conflict – Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk – should take and in what succession.
Ways of extricating the Minsk agreements from this deadlock were discussed at the highest ...
... achieve tactical, albeit quite tangible, successes in its policy on Russia and Iran.
Andrey Kortunov:
Will Putin and Macron Open a New Political Season?
However, the active approach of French diplomacy cannot influence progress in implementing the Minsk Agreements. The keys to resolving the conflict in Donbass are primarily held by Kiev and Moscow. That said, Macron was the first European leader to feel a change in the nature of Russian-Ukrainian relations and to try to use this new trend. The ...
... refuse to grant special status to the uncontrolled territories and that granting amnesty to the participants in the conflict in the self-proclaimed republics would be out of the question. This can be interpreted as a step towards non-compliance with the Minsk agreements. Additionally, since Ukraine is a parliamentary-presidential republic, and since V. Zelensky does not have his own faction and will not have a sufficient number of supporters in the Verkhovna Rada until the next (or early) elections, ...
... restore a normalized dialogue with Russia? How should such a dialogue tackle the case of Ukraine?
Andrey Kortunov
Europe could potentially play a significant role in the resolution of the crisis with Ukraine, more so than the US, which is not part of the Minsk agreements. The Ukraine issue is primarily European, which means that Europe can and should be involved in its resolution. This might require a more active engagement from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a consultation ...
... maximum - the guarantee of cease-fire in the Eastern Ukraine. The further development of negotiations and problem-solving process, they said, requires the upgrading of Minsk process. However several guests disagreed with this idea, pointing out that Minsk agreements were signed up by Ukraine, meaning that Ukraine accepted the terms of these agreements. Anyway, all experts agreed that the process of conflict resolution on Donbass needs to be facilitated in order to continue active negotiations between ...
... surprise.
[i]
This is no surprise. On the eve of Putin’s statement, official Russian representatives had resolutely rejected the very idea of involving international peacekeepers in the Ukrainian conflict. Moscow’s usual argument was to cite the Minsk agreements, which do not envisage such a possibility. Kiev’s intermittent calls for involving the United Nations or the European Union in the settlement process effectively indicated the desire of the Ukrainian authorities to divest itself of ...
