In the picture United States Special Representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker.
By Guido Lanfranchi.
On the fifth anniversary of Russia’s claimed annexation of Crimea, the United States reiterated its full support to Ukraine. The U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker, called on Russia to resume negotiation in good faith to find a way out of the current impasse.
It was on March 18th, 2018, that, in the wake of the referendum on the status of Crimea, the Russian Federation formally declared the annexation of Crimea. Five years later, the issue of Crimea remains a hot topic in international politics.
On March 18th, 2019, the United States’ Special Representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker, briefed the press on the situation in Ukraine, as well as on the stance of the U.S. and its partners. Ambassador Volker strongly condemned Russia’s annexation, as well as the “substantial clampdown on political rights and freedoms” that followed it. He noticed that five years into the conflict, the situation has not improved: the status of Crimea remains contested, the fighting in eastern Ukraine continues, and confrontations are erupting also in the Kerch Strait.
Ambassador Volker reiterated the U.S. position of full support to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, in full respect of the principle established by the Helsinki agreement of 1975, which prohibit the seizure of territory by means of force. He underlined the international community’s rejection of Russia’s claim, and he welcomed the concerted efforts of the U.S., Canada, and the European Union in applying pressure on Moscow through economic sanctions.
In a moment in which a solution does not seem in sight – Ambassador Volker noted – the international community should not give the impression that the situation can be normalized, and the pressure on Russia will be released only when Moscow will resume negotiations in good faith.
In the meanwhile – Ambassador Volker reiterated – the U.S. fully stands behind Ukraine, and is ready to support the Ukrainian government not only via diplomatic channels, but also militarily. While a number of weapons and military systems have already been delivered to Ukraine, Ambassador Volker did not exclude that more supplies could come in the future. However, he also specified that “there is no military solution in the sense of Ukraine taking Crimea back by force”, and only a political process has the potential of resolving the conflict.
On the political front, Ukraine is headed towards presidential elections, which are scheduled for March 31st, 2019 and see the participation of 39 candidates competing for the post. Ambassador Volker welcomed the unfolding of the democratic processes in Ukraine, clearly stating that the decision on who will be the next president is in the hands of the Ukrainian people. The U.S. does not have any preferred candidates – he stressed, noting that although the same seems to apply with Russia, it is nevertheless more evident that Russia would not favour the re-election of the incumbent president, Mr. Petro Poroshenko.
Ambassador Volker also touched upon the societal situation ahead of the elections. Over the last five years, the Ukrainian people – he claimed – have developed a stronger sense of national identity, arguably in reaction to the confrontation with Russia. This has resulted in a number of developments, such as the request for autonomy by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as the diffusion of increasingly pro-European and pro-NATO sentiments among the Ukrainian people – Mr. Volker claimed.
Special Representative Volker also defended himself and his government from the critiques voiced by presidential candidate Ms. Yulia Tymoshenko, who recently argued that the West is to blame for the conflict in Ukraine, and that Ambassador Volker’s negotiation style sidelines the Ukrainian government. Ambassador Volker countered such claims by pointing at his frequent contacts with the Ukrainian government, and counterattacked by fully blaming Russia for the stall in the situation. Until the Russian government will not engage in the negotiations in good faith, there will be no solution to this conflict, regardless of the willingness of external actors or of the negotiations’ format – he explained.
Five years on, thus, the conflict over Crimea is still an open wound for Ukraine, the U.S., and for international politics. The efforts to close such wound continue, hopefully with more success in the future.
