By Guido Lanfranchi.
Speaking from Brussels in the midst of meetings with NATO and European allies, the US Special Representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker, condemns Russia for the lack of progress in resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine, as well as for the recent escalations in the Kerch Strait.
Almost five years after its start, the conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of winding down. Rather, after a long period of stall, tensions have recently soared as a result of the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia in the Kerch Strait. With both sides accusing each other of staging a provocation, the rhetoric has flared up again: Ukraine has temporarily declared martial law in ten regions, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused his Ukrainian counterpart to exploit the incident for electoral purposes.
On this backdrop, the US Special Representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker, is currently in Europe for consultations with NATO and European partners. The aim of all these parties – Ambassador Volker stressed while addressing the press – is to put an end to the conflict, ensuring peace and security for the Ukrainian people. In order to achieve such aim, Ukraine, the US and their partners remain committed to the Minsk agreements, however, on the Russian side there is no collaboration – the Special Representative said.
Ambassador Volker firmly condemned Russia’s denial of involvement in eastern Ukraine, as well as the non constructive attitude of its Russian counterparts in the negotiations. Notably, he blamed Russia for showing no willingness to find an agreement on a series of proposals, including an exchange of prisoners with Ukraine and a United Nation peacekeeping mission proposed by the US.
Ambassador Volker also accused Russia of being entirely responsible for the current escalation in the Kerch Strait, blaming it of infringing on Ukraine’s sovereignty and breaching several provisions of international law. While a swift release of the imprisoned Ukrainian soldiers does not seem in sight, the US Special Representative welcomed the unity showed by the US, NATO and European countries in calling for the release of the servicemen.
Ambassador Volker also dismissed the rumours of Ukraine preparing for an offensive in Donetsk as “assertions made by pro-Russian entities in order to deflect attention away from what Russia is doing”. Instead, he praised the restraint showed by Ukraine in responding to Russian provocations, for instance in the Black Sea.
Questioned by the press on the potential countermeasures to be taken by the US and its allies, Ambassador Volker outlined some of the options on the table. Sanctions certainly remain a valuable tool, especially if used by a broad range of allies in a coordinated way. Moreover, Ambassador Volker stressed the need for a “multinational visible presence in and around Ukraine,” both from a political and military standpoint. Finally, he noted that the US is ready to provide foreign military financing and foreign military sales to Ukraine, and that announcements in this regard are set to come up in the next months.
While the conflict continues, engagement from all parties continue too. With the hope that the suffering of the people involved will end as soon as possible.
