This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/world/europe/ukraine-russia-cease-fire-accord.html

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Ukraine Insists Any Pact With Putin Must Adhere to Terms Set in September Accord Ukraine Insists Any Pact With Russia Must Adhere to Terms of September Accord
(about 1 hour later)
KIEV, Ukraine — As the leaders of Germany and France prepared to travel to Moscow on Friday to press President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on a deal to end the war in eastern Ukraine, officials in Kiev insisted that any agreement must hold to the cease-fire lines and other terms included in a failed truce negotiated in September. KIEV, Ukraine — As the leaders of Germany and France prepared to travel to Moscow on Friday to press President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on a deal to end the war in eastern Ukraine, officials in Kiev insisted that any agreement must hold to the cease-fire lines and to other terms of a truce negotiated in September.
The Ukrainian position underscored the formidable obstacles to an accord to end the fighting between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists, which has killed more than 5,000 people and displaced more than one million, in the worst violence on the European Continent since the Balkan wars of the 1990s. The Ukrainian position underscored the formidable obstacles to an accord to end the fighting between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists that has killed more than 5,000 people and displaced more than one million, the worst violence on the European Continent since the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
Mr. Putin, in letters earlier this week to the French president, François Hollande, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, had put forward a new proposal that apparently included shifts in the cease-fire boundaries based on recent gains by pro-Russian separatist fighters, diplomats said. The proposal also included a new plan to grant political autonomy to the embattled regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Mr. Putin, in letters this week to the French president, François Hollande, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, had put forward a proposal that apparently included shifts in the cease-fire boundaries based on recent gains by pro-Russian separatist fighters, diplomats said. The proposal also included a plan to grant political autonomy to the embattled regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Western officials briefed on Mr. Putin’s plan described it as a nonstarter that would turn eastern Ukraine into another post-Soviet frozen-conflict zone, like Abkhazia along the border with Georgia or the pro-Russian breakaway Transnistria region in Moldova, where the Kremlin maintains several thousand troops ostensibly as a peacekeeping force. Western officials briefed on Mr. Putin’s plan described it as a nonstarter that would turn eastern Ukraine into another post-Soviet frozen-conflict zone, like Abkhazia along the border with Georgia or the pro-Russian breakaway Transnistria region of Moldova, where the Kremlin maintains several thousand troops, ostensibly as a peacekeeping force.
In a television interview shortly after Mr. Hollande and Ms. Merkel met with President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine for five hours on Thursday night, a senior Ukrainian official said that the leaders were focused entirely on implementing the lapsed Minsk accord negotiated in September.In a television interview shortly after Mr. Hollande and Ms. Merkel met with President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine for five hours on Thursday night, a senior Ukrainian official said that the leaders were focused entirely on implementing the lapsed Minsk accord negotiated in September.
Contrary to Mr. Hollande’s statement earlier on Thursday that he and Ms. Merkel were headed to Kiev to present a new proposal, the Ukrainian official, Valeriy Chaliy, who is Mr. Poroshenko’s senior aide on foreign affairs, said the European leaders arrived with no new plan and instead the meeting focused on the need to implement the provision of the Minsk truce. Contrary to Mr. Hollande’s statement on Thursday that he and Ms. Merkel were headed to Kiev to present a new proposal, the Ukrainian official, Valeriy Chaliy, who is Mr. Poroshenko’s senior aide on foreign affairs, said the European leaders arrived with no new plan and instead the meeting focused on the need to put in effect the provision of the Minsk truce.
“There are no secrets,” Mr. Chaliy said in an interview on the 1+1 television channel. “The negotiations in different formats have lasted for more than five hours today. The basis for these negotiations wasn’t any ‘Putin document.’ It was the production of a vision for the implementation of the Minsk agreements by the delegations, or commands of all sides including Ukrainian side, French, German sides. This is the main basis, which nobody denies.”“There are no secrets,” Mr. Chaliy said in an interview on the 1+1 television channel. “The negotiations in different formats have lasted for more than five hours today. The basis for these negotiations wasn’t any ‘Putin document.’ It was the production of a vision for the implementation of the Minsk agreements by the delegations, or commands of all sides including Ukrainian side, French, German sides. This is the main basis, which nobody denies.”
In a statement issued after 1 a.m. on Friday, Mr. Poroshenko said that the leaders were adamant about the importance of the main terms of the Minsk accord.In a statement issued after 1 a.m. on Friday, Mr. Poroshenko said that the leaders were adamant about the importance of the main terms of the Minsk accord.
“The three leaders called for an immediate cease-fire, withdrawal of foreign troops from Ukraine, withdrawal of heavy weapons and equipment, closing the border and the release of all hostages,” Mr. Poroshenko’s statement said. He said they were also calling for release of a Ukrainian helicopter pilot, Nadezhda Savchenko, who is being held in prison in Russia. “The three leaders called for an immediate cease-fire, withdrawal of foreign troops from Ukraine, withdrawal of heavy weapons and equipment, closing the border and the release of all hostages,” Mr. Poroshenko’s statement said. He added that they were also calling for the release of a Ukrainian helicopter pilot, Nadezhda Savchenko, who is being held in prison in Russia.
Speaking to reporters in Berlin before leaving for Moscow on Friday, Ms. Merkel sought to dampen expectations that the talks there would result in a cease-fire, and raised the possibility that further discussions could be necessary. Speaking to reporters in Berlin before leaving for Moscow on Friday, Ms. Merkel sought to dampen expectations that the talks there would result in a cease-fire, and raised the possibility that further discussions might be necessary.
“We are convinced there will be no military solution to the conflict,” the chancellor said. “We know, however, that it remains completely open whether we will be able to reach a cease-fire through these talks.”“We are convinced there will be no military solution to the conflict,” the chancellor said. “We know, however, that it remains completely open whether we will be able to reach a cease-fire through these talks.”
”I would like to add that François Hollande and I are not engaging as neutral mediators, but we represent our French and German, but above all European, interests,” Ms. Merkel said. She added that she had also consulted with Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council. “I would like to add that François Hollande and I are not engaging as neutral mediators, but we represent our French and German, but above all European, interests,” Ms. Merkel said. She added that she had also consulted with Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council.
“We are doing that which we believe is our responsibility at this time, namely everything in our power to end the bloodshed,” she said.“We are doing that which we believe is our responsibility at this time, namely everything in our power to end the bloodshed,” she said.
The Ukrainian leadership seemed increasingly concerned with maintaining unity with its Western allies and also with keeping alive the possibility that the Obama administration would agree to supply weapons to help the beleaguered Ukrainian military beat back the Russian-backed separatists. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., meeting with European officials in Brussels, said Mr. Putin “continues to call for new peace plans as his troops roll through the Ukrainian countryside and he absolutely ignores every agreement that his country has signed in the past,” according to The Associated Press.
An official in the Ukrainian presidential administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Mr. Kerry had promised that Washington would shortly make a decision about supplying weapons, perhaps even by next week. He said that Russia should not be allowed to redraw the map of Europe and that the European Union and the United States should provide the government of Ukraine with financial and political aid.
Mr. Poroshenko, who was scheduled to fly to Munich for an annual security conference on Friday afternoon, delayed his departure to stay in Kiev to monitor the unfolding talks in Moscow. Separately, the European Union was prepared to expand its list of Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities subject to sanctions over the Ukraine invasion, news services reported.
The obstacles to a deal were further highlighted earlier on Thursday when the Kremlin’s top spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, repeated Russia’s longstanding denials that any of its military personnel were on the ground in eastern Ukraine. That prompted the Ukrainian prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, to respond mockingly at a news conference in Kiev, “If they need, I can give them my glasses.” Among the 19 individuals are five Russians, including members of Parliament and officials of the Defense Ministry. The new sanctions are expected to be approved on Monday.
He added, “We are not fighting with rebels or guerrillas; we are fighting with the regular Russian military.” The Ukrainian leadership seemed increasingly concerned with maintaining unity with its Western allies and with keeping alive the possibility that the Obama administration would agree to supply weapons to help the beleaguered Ukrainian military beat back the separatists.
An official in the Ukrainian presidential administration, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Mr. Kerry had promised that Washington would make a decision soon about supplying weapons, perhaps even by next week.
Mr. Poroshenko, who was scheduled to fly to Munich for an annual security conference Friday afternoon, delayed his departure to stay in Kiev and monitor the unfolding talks in Moscow.
The obstacles to a deal were further highlighted Thursday when the Kremlin’s top spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, repeated Russia’s longstanding denials that any of its military personnel were on the ground in eastern Ukraine. That prompted the Ukrainian prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, to respond mockingly at a news conference in Kiev, “If they need, I can give them my glasses.”
“We are not fighting with rebels or guerrillas,” he added. “We are fighting with the regular Russian military.”