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Version 1 Version 2
Visiting East, Ukraine Leader Vows to Not Cede Any Territory Brushing Off Threats, E.U. Votes to Toughen Its Sanctions on Russia
(about 5 hours later)
MOSCOW — With a fragile truce barely holding in eastern Ukraine, President Petro O. Poroshenko visited the port city of Mariupol on Monday, not far from where Ukrainian forces suffered severe losses in recent days, and declared that his government would never relinquish territory that some separatists claim historically belongs to Russia. BRUSSELS — Unswayed by threats of retaliation from Moscow, including a possible ban on airlines from Europe flying over Russia, European leaders on Monday endorsed an expansion of economic sanctions against Russia, but backed off putting the new measures into effect immediately.
The decision by the European Union to stiffen “restrictive measures” over Ukraine came as sporadic fighting disrupted a Russian-backed cease-fire declared on Friday and Ukraine’s president, Petro O. Poroshenko, vowed to hang on to contested territory threatened by pro-Russian rebels.
With a fragile truce barely holding in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Poroshenko visited the port city of Mariupol, not far from where Ukrainian forces suffered severe losses in recent days, and said that his government would never relinquish territory that some separatists claim historically belongs to Russia.
“Just arrived in Mariupol,” Mr. Poroshenko declared in a Twitter post. “This is our Ukrainian land. We will never give it up to anyone.”“Just arrived in Mariupol,” Mr. Poroshenko declared in a Twitter post. “This is our Ukrainian land. We will never give it up to anyone.”
Mr. Poroshenko’s visit came as sporadic violations of the cease-fire were reported in several parts of the region. Although the fighting between pro-Russian separatists and government troops has quieted down substantially since the cease-fire was announced on Friday, it has not stopped. Still, officials on all sides seemed eager to sustain the truce — by force of will if nothing else. The European Union has given strong support to the cease-fire but, skeptical about Russia’s intentions after the swift collapse of previous efforts at a settlement, decided on Monday to expand existing economic sanctions. Diplomats say the measures include tight restrictions on access to capital in Europe by the two state-controlled Russian energy giants, Rosneft and Gazprom’s oil affiliate, and the state pipeline operator, Transneft.
From Mariupol, Mr. Poroshenko spoke by telephone with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and their offices each issued brief statements saying the two leaders were working to support the cease-fire. “The sanctions aim at promoting a change of course in Russia’s actions destabilizing eastern Ukraine,” Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, which represents member states, said in a statement. He said the measures would go into effect “in the next few days.”
There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which responded to an earlier round of European sanctions by banning a broad range of dairy, meat, fruit and vegetable exports from Europe.
Russia has worked hard to fan divisions within the European Union, and Prime Minister Dmitri A. Medvedev warned in an interview published early on Monday in Moscow that his government would “have to respond asymmetrically” to any new sanctions, perhaps by banning Western airlines from flying through Russian airspace, as many do on long-haul flights to Asia.
“If Western carriers have to bypass our airspace, this could drive many struggling airlines into bankruptcy,” Mr. Medvedev said in a lengthy interview in the Russian newspaper Vedomosti. “This is not the way to go. We just hope our partners realize this at some point.”
Measures endorsed by leaders of European Union’s 28 member states normally go into effect within hours. But Finland, hard hit by the Russian ban on food imports, and some other countries anxious to see whether the cease-fire holds in coming days, appealed for a slower schedule.
Mr. van Rompuy said the delay “will leave time for an assessment of the implementation of the cease-fire agreement and the peace plan,” referring to a plan agreed to last week in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Indicating that the new measures could be scrapped if the situation improves durably in Ukraine, he added that “depending on the situation on the ground,” the European Union was ready “review the agreed sanctions in whole or in part.”
Catherine Ashton, the union’s foreign affairs chief, said Monday during a visit to Canada that Europe was not ducking a decision, but rather was working to get all 28 governments on the same page at a critical time in eastern Ukraine.
“We want this cease-fire to be strong and solid and to be able to continue,” Ms. Ashton told reporters at a joint news conference with John Baird, the Canadian foreign minister. Imposing news sanctions, Ms. Ashton said, “is a very difficult and complicated procedure.”
Some smaller European countries, notably Slovakia, had argued strongly against new sanctions, warning that they would only hurt Europe’s anemic economic recovery and were “meaningless.” But bigger countries, particularly Germany, which was itself initially hostile to sanctions, have increasingly lost faith in Russia’s trustworthiness and been exasperated by Moscow’s insistence, despite strong evidence to the contrary, that it has not sent soldiers or weapons into eastern Ukraine.
Tensions between Russia and the West could spike further on Tuesday when Dutch investigators release a preliminary report into the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet over eastern Ukraine on July 17. Nearly 300 people died in the tragedy, which the United States and Ukraine have blamed on pro-Russian rebels armed with surface-to-air missiles provided Russia. Moscow has blamed Ukraine.
In several parts of eastern Ukraine on Monday, there were reports of sporadic violations of the cease-fire. Although the fighting between pro-Russian separatists and government troops has quieted substantially since the cease-fire was announced on Friday, it has not stopped. Still, officials on all sides seemed eager to sustain the truce — by force of will if nothing else.
During his visit to Mariupol, an industrial port city on the Sea of Azov, Mr. Poroshenko spoke by telephone with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and their offices each issued brief statements saying the two leaders were working to support the cease-fire.
The Kremlin said the two leaders “continued discussion of steps to facilitate the peaceful settlement of the situation in the southeast of Ukraine,” and added, “Dialogue will continue.” Mr. Poroshenko’s office said that he had “stressed the importance of effective monitoring” of the truce by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.The Kremlin said the two leaders “continued discussion of steps to facilitate the peaceful settlement of the situation in the southeast of Ukraine,” and added, “Dialogue will continue.” Mr. Poroshenko’s office said that he had “stressed the importance of effective monitoring” of the truce by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The 12-point agreement reached in Minsk, Belarus, by representatives of the Ukrainian government, the separatists, Russia and the O.S.C.E., includes a proposal for increased political autonomy in eastern Ukraine, but a long-term political settlement is expected to be extremely difficult to reach. A 12-point agreement reached last week in Minsk by representatives of the Ukrainian government, the separatists, Russia and the O.S.C.E. includes a proposal increased political autonomy in eastern Ukraine, but a long-term political settlement is expected to be extremely difficult to reach.
In a speech in Mariupol, Mr. Poroshenko said that the sides were complying with a provision in the truce agreement that calls for the exchange of all captives, Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. He said the separatists had released 1,200 captives to the Ukrainian side so far. In a speech in Mariupol, Mr. Poroshenko said the sides were complying with a provision in the truce agreement that calls for the exchange of all captives, Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. He said the separatists had released 1,200 captives to the Ukrainian side so far.
Tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukrainian crisis continued to run high on Monday. The European Union was reported to be close to imposing a new round of economic sanctions intended to penalize Moscow and its allies for their role in the seizure of Crimea and in the rebel uprising in the east. In Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, a military spokesman said the cease-fire was largely holding, even though there were repeated violations scattered across the southeast that he called “provocations.”
Prime Minister Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia warned that his government would retaliate against any new sanctions, perhaps by banning Western airlines from flying through Russian airspace, as many do on long-haul flights to Asia.
“If Western carriers have to bypass our airspace, this could drive many struggling airlines into bankruptcy,” Mr. Medvedev said in a lengthy interview published on Monday in the Russian newspaper Vedomosti. “This is not the way to go. We just hope our partners realize this at some point.”
The European Union’s 28 member states endorsed proposals on Monday for expanded sanctions against Russia, including tighter restrictions on credit for sate oil companies. But some members, including Finland, raised “concerns about the timetable” for the new measures to take effect. Officials in Brussels said ambassadors from member nations were meeting late into the evening to discuss the issue of when the measures would be published in the union’s Official Journal, the final step in the laborious policy-making process.
Catherine Ashton, the union’s foreign affairs chief, said Europe was not ducking a decision on the sanctions, but rather was working to get all 28 government on the same page.
“We want this cease-fire to be strong and solid and to be able to continue,” Ms. Ashton, on a visit to Canada, told reporters at a news conference with John Baird, the country’s foreign minister. Imposing news sanctions, Ms. Ashton said, “is a very difficult and complicated procedure.”
In Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, a military spokesman said that the cease-fire was largely holding, even though there were repeated violations scattered across the southeast that he called “provocations.”
“There is no firing from heavy artillery, no shelling from Grad systems, that is a big achievement,” the spokesman, Col. Andriy Lysenko of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said at a news briefing on Monday, referring to a type of military rocket.“There is no firing from heavy artillery, no shelling from Grad systems, that is a big achievement,” the spokesman, Col. Andriy Lysenko of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said at a news briefing on Monday, referring to a type of military rocket.
Colonel Lysenko said the truce violations involved lighter weapons like mortars and machines guns, and that Russia was no longer sending military equipment across the border. He also said no Ukrainian troops had been killed since the truce went into effect on Friday evening. Colonel Lysenko said that the truce violations involved lighter weapons like mortars and machines guns, and that Russia was no longer sending military equipment across the border. He also said no Ukrainian troops had been killed since the truce went into effect on Friday evening.
Still, the colonel expressed concern about a large contingent of forces that he said Russia had deployed in northern Crimea, the peninsula it seized from Ukraine and annexed in March. He said there were 64 Russian tanks, 100 armored personnel carriers and several artillery systems and antiaircraft batteries near the point where Crimea borders the rest of Ukraine. Mariupol has been under threat since Aug. 27, when the rebels, apparently supported by Russian forces, opened a new front in the war. Their offensive proved to be a successful effort to prevent a Ukrainian military victory over the separatists.
Mariupol, a port city on the Sea of Azov, has been under threat since Aug. 27, when the rebels, apparently supported by Russian forces, opened a new front in the war. Their offensive proved to be a successful effort to prevent a Ukrainian military victory over the separatists.
There were reports of shelling around Mariupol on Saturday night, but the city was calm when Mr. Poroshenko arrived on Monday on a visit intended to show solidarity and support. He met with soldiers and toured a metallurgical factory.There were reports of shelling around Mariupol on Saturday night, but the city was calm when Mr. Poroshenko arrived on Monday on a visit intended to show solidarity and support. He met with soldiers and toured a metallurgical factory.
“We will do everything so there will be peace,” he said, according to a transcript posted on the presidential website, “but we will be prepared to defend our country.” Fighting beside the Ukrainian army in the east have been an array of militia groups, and Amnesty International issued a report on Monday accusing one of those volunteer battalions with large-scale abuse. The report said the Aidar territorial defense battalion had committed “abductions, unlawful detention, ill treatment, theft, extortion and possible executions.”
Fighting beside the Ukrainian Army in the east have been an array of militia groups. Amnesty International issued a report on Monday accusing one of those volunteer battalions of large-scale abuse. The government has accused pro-Russian separatists of similar crimes.
The report said that the Aidar territorial defense battalion had committed “abductions, unlawful detention, ill treatment, theft, extortion, and possible executions.”
At a meeting in Kiev with Prime Minister Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, the secretary general of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty, urged the Ukrainian government on Monday to halt the abuses and to exert greater control over the volunteer fighters.
The government has accused pro-Russian separatists of similar crimes. “The Ukrainian authorities must not replicate the lawlessness and abuses that have prevailed in areas previously held by separatists,” Mr. Shetty told the prime minister, according to a statement by Amnesty International.