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Germany Renews Diplomatic Effort to Ease Ukraine Crisis Ukrainian Soldiers Killed in Militia Ambush
(about 7 hours later)
BERLIN — Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany arrived Tuesday in Kiev for Berlin’s latest diplomatic effort to defuse the crisis that has seized the eastern region of Ukraine after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March. DONETSK, Ukraine — Antigovernment forces ambushed a Ukrainian Army convoy outside a village west of Kramatorsk on Tuesday afternoon, further intensifying tensions in Ukraine’s restive eastern regions.
The visit came as the battle lines seemed to harden between the interim authorities in Kiev and separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk who held contentious referendums on Sunday and claimed the ballots showed overwhelming support for secession. Both sides are backed by armed forces locked in an uneasy standoff that has led to clashes and bloodshed. The attack represented a significant tactical escalation, with the pro-Russian militia venturing for the first time outside its strongholds to disrupt Ukrainian military movements along routes it uses to supply the positions essential to what it calls a blockade of armed rebel areas.
Russia, the key power broker in the region, stopped short of outright recognition of the drive for secession, using the results to press for a negotiated autonomy for those provinces. The fighting left six Ukrainian soldiers dead and eight wounded, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. A rebel commander in nearby Slovyansk reported one dead and two wounded among the militiamen, and claimed the rebel unit involved had killed up to 30 Ukrainian soldiers.
Neither casualty toll could be independently confirmed.
The clash was the first skirmish outside Kramatorsk or Slovyansk since a referendum carried out Sunday by the militia’s political wing, the Donetsk People’s Republic, led the region to declare its independence and to appeal to Russia for incorporation.
Earlier in the day, the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, arrived in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, for a new diplomatic effort to defuse the crisis that seized the eastern region of Ukraine after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March.
The visit came as the battle lines seemed to harden between the interim authorities in Kiev and separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where, after the vote Sunday, separatist leaders indicated that the continued presence of Ukrainian forces would lead to further armed confrontation.
“If they don’t leave our land on their own, we will drive them out,” the self-appointed mayor of Slovyansk, Vyachislav Ponomaryov, said late Sunday night.
The Ukrainian government said that rebels had used grenade launchers in the ambush on Monday and that, in recent weeks, some rebels in Slovyansk have been openly carrying Kalashnikov rifles with 40-millimeter under-barrel grenade launchers and ammunition pouches often heavy with high-explosive 40-millimeter grenades.
Russia, the key power broker in the region, stopped short of outright recognition of the increasingly militant drive for secession, using the results from the referendum Sunday to press for a negotiated autonomy for the restive provinces.
In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said only that it “respects the will of the population of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” and that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said only that it “respects the will of the population of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” and that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.
Despite those words, Moscow kept up pressure on the interim authorities in Kiev through Gazprom, the giant natural gas company in which the Russian government has a 50.01 percent stake. The Kremlin often uses Gazprom for political purposes. Despite those words, Moscow kept up pressure on the interim authorities in Kiev through Gazprom, the giant natural gas company controlled by the Russian government and often used by the Kremlin for political purposes.
A spokesman for Gazprom, Sergei Kupriyanov, said in a statement on Tuesday that the Ukrainian state gas company, Naftogaz, would have until June 2 to pay $1.6 billion for June gas supplies, news reports said. “Starting from June 3,” the statement said, seeming to threaten a cutoff if the payment is not made, “the company will receive gas for Ukrainian consumers only in the amounts it has paid for.” A spokesman for Gazprom said in a statement on Tuesday that the Ukrainian state gas company, Naftogaz, would have until June 2 to pay $1.6 billion for June gas supplies, news reports said, seemingly threatening a cutoff if the payment is not made.
Naftogaz said that it had been notified of the advance payment demand, but declined further comment. Naftogaz said that it had been notified of the payment demand, but declined further comment.
Mr. Steinmeier met the acting prime minister of Ukraine, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, in Kiev and had plans to travel on to Odessa on the Black Sea, where a fire killed some 40 people earlier this month, German diplomats said. Mr. Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, met the acting prime minister of Ukraine, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, in Kiev and had plans to travel to Odessa on the Black Sea, where a fire killed some 40 people earlier this month, German diplomats said.
“We support your efforts to launch a national dialogue, under Ukrainian ownership, here in your country, through round tables, at the central level and in the regions,” Mr. Steinmeier told a joint news conference with Mr. Yatsenyuk, news reports said. “We support your efforts to launch a national dialogue, under Ukrainian ownership, here in your country, through round tables, at the central level and in the regions,” Mr. Steinmeier said at a joint news conference with Mr. Yatsenyuk, news reports said.
“I hope this will create the conditions to take a step to bring back occupied territory, disarm armed groups step-by-step and reinstall the authority of the state,” Mr. Steinmeier said, adding that the planned presidential elections on May 25 would “play a crucial role” in ending a crisis that ranks as one of the most serious in Europe since the end of the Cold War. “I hope this will create the conditions to take a step to bring back occupied territory, disarm armed groups step-by-step and reinstall the authority of the state,” Mr. Steinmeier said, adding that the presidential election scheduled for May 25 would “play a crucial role” in ending a crisis that ranks as one of the most serious in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Mr. Yatsenyuk was scheduled to meet later in the day with officials of the European Union in Brussels. Mr. Yatsenyuk was scheduled to meet later in the day with European Union officials in Brussels.
The trip was Mr. Steinmeier’s third to the country since February, when he and his French and Polish counterparts brokered an accord between demonstrators and President Viktor F. Yanukovych that fell apart when Mr. Yanukovych was ousted and fled the country for southern Russia. The trip was Mr. Steinmeier’s third to Ukraine since February, when he and his French and Polish counterparts brokered an accord between demonstrators and President Viktor F. Yanukovych that fell apart when Mr. Yanukovych was ousted and fled the country for southern Russia.
Germany has repeatedly pushed for a diplomatic solution in Ukraine while insisting that it would support tougher sanctions if Russia either invades or obstructs the scheduled presidential vote on May 25. Above all, German politicians have made clear, they seek an elected figure to deal with in Kiev. Germany has repeatedly pushed for a diplomatic solution in Ukraine while insisting that it would support tougher sanctions if Russia either invades or obstructs the presidential vote. Above all, German politicians have made clear, they seek to deal with an elected figure in Kiev.
Mr. Steinmeier is also promoting a proposal to get the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a 57-nation group that includes Europe and the United States as well as Ukraine and Russia, involved in disarming separatists, promoting dialogue and overseeing a free and fair election.Mr. Steinmeier is also promoting a proposal to get the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a 57-nation group that includes Europe and the United States as well as Ukraine and Russia, involved in disarming separatists, promoting dialogue and overseeing a free and fair election.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has assured his support, though Russia has also pledged to respect the referendums in eastern Ukraine that were condemned as illegal by the authorities in Kiev and by the West.President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has assured his support, though Russia has also pledged to respect the referendums in eastern Ukraine that were condemned as illegal by the authorities in Kiev and by the West.
Berlin has asked the veteran German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, a former ambassador to the United States who now runs an annual security conference held in Munich each February, to coordinate a series of “round tables” intended to bring together all sections of Ukrainian society under the O.S.C.E. proposal. Berlin has asked the German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, a former ambassador to the United States who now runs an annual security conference in Munich every February, to coordinate a series of “round tables” intended to bring together all sections of Ukrainian society under the O.S.C.E. proposal.
The terminology being used harks back to 1989, when Poland’s Communist rulers met representatives of the trade union Solidarity, and to the time when the Communists who ruled East Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel grew up, met dissidents. But German media questioned whether there is in Ukraine today even that minimum of national consensus that existed in Soviet bloc countries then. The terminology being used harks back to 1989, when Poland’s Communist rulers met representatives of the trade union Solidarity, and to the time when the Communists who ruled East Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel grew up, met dissidents. But the German news media questioned whether there is even that minimum of national consensus in Ukraine today that existed in Soviet bloc countries then.
“For such talks to be successful, minimal consensus is required,” noted Daniel Brössler in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. “All sides must consider a compromise at least conceivable. And that’s the question: Who should, or could, conclude what kind of compromise?” “For such talks to be successful, minimal consensus is required,” Daniel Brössler said in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. “All sides must consider a compromise at least conceivable. And that’s the question: Who should, or could, conclude what kind of compromise?”
Europeans favor the O.S.C.E. as the best vehicle for negotiations since it includes all the countries involved in the crisis and happens currently to be chaired by Switzerland. In addition, the organization has mandates to do what Mr. Steinmeier and others have advocated for both sides in Ukraine — to disarm, foster dialogue and observe elections. Many Europeans favor the O.S.C.E. as the vehicle for negotiations, as it includes all the countries involved in the crisis and is currently chaired by Switzerland. In addition, the organization has mandates to do what Mr. Steinmeier and others have recommended for both sides in Ukraine — to disarm, foster dialogue and observe elections.
Russia has often viewed the group favorably too, in part because it grew out of an accord in 1975 that the Soviets felt put them on a par with the West for the first time during the Cold War. Russia, too, has often viewed the group favorably, in part because it grew out of an accord in 1975 that the Soviets felt put them on a par with the West for the first time in the Cold War.