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Ukraine crisis: Geneva talks produce agreement on defusing conflict Ukraine crisis: Geneva talks produce agreement on defusing conflict
(35 minutes later)
The US, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union have agreed a plan aimed at defusing the gathering conflict in eastern Ukraine.
At a meeting in Geneva which began with low expectations but led to seven hours of intense negotiations, foreign ministers agreed a series of "concrete steps" to be taken by all sides. The agreement puts on hold for now at least additional economic sanctions against Russia. The US, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union have reached agreement on a series of immediate steps aimed at pulling eastern Ukraine back from the brink of war.
"All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions. The participants strongly condemned and rejected all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including antisemitism," the joint statement said. The deal, clinched after a dramatic extended meeting in Geneva, calls for the disarming of all illegal groups. In the next few days they would have to vacate all the government buildings and public spaces they have occupied over the course of the crisis.
"All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated." In return, the protesters in eastern Ukraine would be offered amnesty for all but capital crimes and the government in Kiev would immediately start a process of public consultation aimed at devolving constitutional powers to the provinces.
The constitution is also to be revised in a process that is "inclusive, transparent and accountable". The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will be given the job not only of making sure the agreement will be put into practice but of helping to implement it. The US, Russia and European countries would provide monitors to beef up the OSCE's manpower, which would be given access across Ukraine.
The US secretary of state, John Kerry said the agreement "represents a good day's work" but would have little meaning if it was not followed by action on all sides to calm the situation. He said if the US and EU did not see progress, new sanctions would follow. Speaking after the deal was agreed, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, made it clear that the US would hold Russia accountable for the compliance of the pro-Russian protesters in eastern Ukraine.
"Over the next few days, over the course of this weekend and the earliest part of next week, some of these steps have to be seen and be evident," Kerry said. "None of us leaves here with a sense that the job is done because of words on a paper." "Responsibility will lie with those who have organised their presence, provided them with the weapons, put the uniforms on them, supported them, and have been engaged in the process of guiding them over the course of this operation," Kerry said, adding that the US had "made very clear that Russia has a huge impact on all those forces. And we have made clear what the evidence is."
The substantive agreement also grants amnesty to protesters including those who had occupied government property and surrendered their weapons. The exception would be those "found guilty of capital crimes". A planned escalation of US sanctions on Russia would be suspended pending Russian compliance "over the weekend".
The deal represents a far better outcome than appeared possible when the four foreign ministers met on Thursday morning. The meeting in Geneva, which brought together Kerry, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Deshchytsia and the EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, began with low expectations as clashes across eastern Ukraine between government forces and armed protesters escalated.
Talks were expected to be perfunctory and last a little more than a couple of hours. A room was prepared for the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to give a press conference after just an hour, perhaps anticipating a walk-out. At least one demonstrator was killed when pro-Russian protesters tried to storm a military base in the town of Mariupol. It was expected that the talks would only last a couple of hours, and a room was prepared for Lavrov to talk to the press at midday, raising concerns he might walk out of the negotiations.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had earlier said in a televised live Q&A that the Russian parliament had given him the right to intervene militarily in Ukraine, adding "I really hope that I do not have to exercise this right and that we are able to solve all today's pressing issues via political and diplomatic means." In the end, however, intense talks went on for seven hours, leading to the agreement, intended "to de-escalate tensions and restore security for all citizens".
The success of the agreement will depend on its implementation. Kerry made it clear that the US would hold Moscow responsible for controlling the pro-Russian protesters, who Putin has portrayed as independent minded Ukrainians. The deal has five main points:
The Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Deshchytsia, said in Geneva the "joint efforts to launch the de-escalation ... will be a test for Russia to show that it is really willing to have stability in this region." • All sides refrain from violence, and reject expressions "of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including antisemitism".
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe will be given a leading role in monitoring the agreement and helping to implement it. • All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned; all illegally occupied streets and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.
"The US, EU and Russia commit to support this mission, including by providing monitors," the statement said. • Amnesty will be granted to protesters and to those who have left buildings and other public places and surrendered weapons, with the exception of those found guilty of capital crimes.
On constitutional talks it said: "The announced constitutional process will be inclusive, transparent and accountable. It will include the immediate establishment of a broad national dialogue, with outreach to all of Ukraine's regions and political constituencies, and allow for the consideration of public comments and proposed amendments." • The OSCE would play a leading role in helping the authorities implement the agreement.
• Constitutional reform would be inclusive, transparent and accountable.
The agreement does not address the build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, nor the beefing up of the Nato presence on Russia's western border, announced on Wednesday by the alliance's secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Kerry said that Russia had withdrawn one battalion from the border region and had made clear it would make further, bigger withdrawals as the Geneva agreement was implemented.
Kerry drew special attention to reports that antisemitic leaflets had been handed out to Jews in Donetsk, calling on them to register with the separatist authorities. The separatists denied responsibility.
Without specifically assigning blame, Kerry said: "In the year 2014, after all the violence and the journey of history, this is not just intolerable, it's grotesque. It's beyond unacceptable. Whoever is involved in these activities, wherever they crawled out of, there is no place for that."
Tensions continued to rise in the east between residents supporting and opposing the new Kiev government. Protesters gathered outside police headquarters in Stakhanov to demand the local police chief's resignation. They attempted to storm the building, but were reportedly repelled by residents who formed a human shield in front of the station.
On Thursday, hundreds gathered in Donetsk to demonstrate for Ukrainian territorial integrity. The rally ended peacefully, unlike similar demonstrations in previous weeks where pro-Russian protesters beat participants. Student Dima Balakai said he was there to oppose the Russian-backed "bandits" occupying the regional administration building.
"There are no violations against the Russian language here," he said, referring to pro-Russian protesters' tendency to blame Kiev for oppressing Russian speakers. "If I speak Ukrainian at the institute, they could soon kick me out."
He said he was beaten by a crowd of young men at a similar rally on 4 March.
Activists from the "people's republic" occupying the administration building went to Donetsk airport to demand negotiations with officials. They told the Guardian they wanted to prevent any military flights from landing, as well as ensure that Russian citizens could arrive freely. The Russian airline Aeroflot said the Ukrainian border service had placed an entry ban on Russian men aged 16 to 60. The Russian foreign ministry said it had requested more information from its Ukrainian counterpart, but journalists at Kiev's Borispol airport reported seeing Russian male passengers turned back.
Donetsk activists said such an entry ban has already been in place de facto in eastern Ukraine. Dima Prokopshuk said two friends from Russia whom he had invited to his recent wedding were turned back at the Ukrainian border three times even though they tried to enter from Crimea, Belgorod and Rostov-on-Don.
Leader comment, page 44 John Pilger, page 44