EU will not slap new sanctions on Russia before Minsk summit: France
Mon Feb 9, 2015 2:20PM
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (AFP photo)
France
says the European Union will not impose new sanctions against Moscow
and pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine before the February 11 peace
summit in Minsk.
“The principle of the sanctions is maintained but the application will depend on what happens on the ground,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday, adding, “We will see if the meeting has taken place, what kind of results there are. And then we will be able to draw conclusions.”
According to reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are scheduled to hold talks in the Belarusian capital in a bid to find a way to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
‘Minsk talks could lead to ceasefire’
Meanwhile, Germany expressed hope that the Wednesday meeting would be a solid step toward a holding ceasefire.
“We hope that the outstanding issues can be resolved to a point that a Minsk meeting would hold some promise and can produce the first steps toward defusing the situation and a ceasefire,” stated German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
To arm or not to arm Kiev?
In recent days, the European Union and the United States have been divided over the best possible strategy to tackle the crisis in Ukraine. The EU members have rejected Washington’s plan to provide the government in Kiev with lethal weapons, arguing that diplomatic efforts must be the priority of all sides involved in the conflict.
“We do not see this (arming Kiev) as progress. It would be easy for the Russians to immediately compensate for that,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders.
“The UK is not intending to supply lethal weaponry to Ukraine at this point in time,” British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stated.
Source of conflict
Russia has been hit with a series of sanctions by the United States and the European Union, which accuse Moscow of supporting pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine, saying the Russian intervention poses a security threat to Ukraine and all other neighboring states. Russia categorically denies the allegation.
The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev’s military operation started in April 2014 in a bid to crush the pro-Russians.
Violence intensified in May 2014 after the two flashpoint regions held local referendums in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation.
The fighting has left more than 5,300 people dead, 12,200 wounded and 1.5 million displaced, the United Nations says.
Back in September 2014, representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk signed a ceasefire deal in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. The truce has been violated on an almost daily basis by both the Ukrainian military and pro-Russia forces.
FNR/HSN/SS
“The principle of the sanctions is maintained but the application will depend on what happens on the ground,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday, adding, “We will see if the meeting has taken place, what kind of results there are. And then we will be able to draw conclusions.”
According to reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are scheduled to hold talks in the Belarusian capital in a bid to find a way to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
‘Minsk talks could lead to ceasefire’
Meanwhile, Germany expressed hope that the Wednesday meeting would be a solid step toward a holding ceasefire.
“We hope that the outstanding issues can be resolved to a point that a Minsk meeting would hold some promise and can produce the first steps toward defusing the situation and a ceasefire,” stated German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
To arm or not to arm Kiev?
In recent days, the European Union and the United States have been divided over the best possible strategy to tackle the crisis in Ukraine. The EU members have rejected Washington’s plan to provide the government in Kiev with lethal weapons, arguing that diplomatic efforts must be the priority of all sides involved in the conflict.
“We do not see this (arming Kiev) as progress. It would be easy for the Russians to immediately compensate for that,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders.
“The UK is not intending to supply lethal weaponry to Ukraine at this point in time,” British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stated.
Source of conflict
Russia has been hit with a series of sanctions by the United States and the European Union, which accuse Moscow of supporting pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine, saying the Russian intervention poses a security threat to Ukraine and all other neighboring states. Russia categorically denies the allegation.
The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev’s military operation started in April 2014 in a bid to crush the pro-Russians.
Violence intensified in May 2014 after the two flashpoint regions held local referendums in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation.
The fighting has left more than 5,300 people dead, 12,200 wounded and 1.5 million displaced, the United Nations says.
Back in September 2014, representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk signed a ceasefire deal in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. The truce has been violated on an almost daily basis by both the Ukrainian military and pro-Russia forces.
FNR/HSN/SS