Saturday, February 7, 2015

Munich conference: Russia ‘hate fest’ or split between Western allies?

Published time: February 08, 2015 04:54 
US Vice President Joe Biden at the 51st Munich Security Conference on February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michaela Rehle)
US Vice President Joe Biden at the 51st Munich Security Conference on February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michaela Rehle)
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World leaders gathered in Germany to discuss international security on Saturday, with the meeting somewhat descending into ‘Russia-bashing’. But the West showed itself to be more divided than ever on Ukraine, with the EU and US drifting further apart.
The Americans led the harsh anti-Russian rhetoric at the conference, and once again, they did not exclude the possibility of lethal arms deliveries to Ukraine in the future.

Speaking to reporters, NATO’s top commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, said that although no troops would be sent to Ukraine, providing Kiev with lethal weapons and equipment was on the cards.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, British Conservative politician and former foreign secretary Malcom Rifkind, and US senator Lindsey Graham notably took a pronounced anti-Russian stance, blaming the Kremlin for the violence in Ukraine.

Moscow hit back, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressing in his Munich speech that it is the US and its European allies who have played the key destabilizing role in Ukraine, from helping to overthrow the democratically elected government to failing to condemn the new Kiev government for shelling the civilian population in the east with cluster bombs.

“Through every step, as the crisis has developed, our American colleagues and the EU under their influence have tried to escalate the situation,” Lavrov said, adding that the West has always been urging world governments to enter into dialogue with opposition groups or figures, even when it came to extremist groups such as the Taliban. However, in Ukraine it has bluntly been supporting every one of Kiev’s actions.
Lavrov then spoke with US Secretary of State John Kerry, warning him that Washington’s plans to supply Kiev with military equipment might have “unpredictable consequences”, including “disrupting the efforts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine,” according to a Facebook statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry. He stressed that Russia and the US agree that the only basis for any solution is a comprehensive national dialogue on constitutional reform in Ukraine.

Russia will not sacrifice its national interest, but is ready to “engage constructively” with the US, Lavrov stressed.
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko meets U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Victoria Nuland (L-R) at the 51st Munich Security Conference on February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michaela Rehle)
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko meets U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Victoria Nuland (L-R) at the 51st Munich Security Conference on February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michaela Rehle)

At the press conference, the Russian top diplomat was pelted with questions implying that Moscow is responsible for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“It felt like orchestrated hate fest. Obviously these people live in a surreal world. The US try to change the balance of forces in eastern Europe and the EU join the band wagon,” Srdja Trifkovic, foreign affairs editor of the Chronicles magazine told RT, adding that “whenever a major power wants to change the status-quo, the result is a crisis.”

Despite the recent efforts to try and to stop the violence and find a peaceful way out of the Ukrainian conflict, with French and German leaders having taken an initiative to discuss a peace plan with Russia’s President Putin and Ukraine’s President Poroshenko, the actions of the West are still “profoundly self-righteous,” critics say.
“What I saw today in the press conference is a total unwillingness from the European, Western side to even take into consideration the arguments of the other side...the questions they pose are so selective, so predetermined by their self-righteousness – that is not the way you try to get peace,”former security consultant at the OSCE Lode Vanoost told RT, adding that the West is hypocritical to a level “so profound that [its behavior] is not a serious way to try to get peace.”

However, despite the overwhelmingly anti-Russian rhetoric coming from the West, there are increasingly numbers of politicians who are softening their stance.

Following the Friday meeting of President Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Moscow, which was said to be “constructive,” the French leader revealed that the discussion included the creation of a larger demilitarized zone between the Kiev and militia-controlled territories. He also called for “quite strong” autonomy for Ukraine’s eastern regions.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said on Saturday that Paris does not want a new Cold War, considering that Russia and France having a long history of common interests and values. The former state leader also said that it was Crimea that had chosen to join Russia and it “cannot be blamed” for its choice. Previously, former Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, said that Crimea has “always” been a part of Russia.

READ MORE: Sarkozy: Crimea cannot be blamed for joining Russia
While the European leaders have largely been united in their support for the Kiev government, only a few have agreed with the United States on supplying weapons to Ukraine. Instead, the German leader stressed that the crisis “cannot be resolved militarily” and that sending more arms can only worsen the conflict.
The issue of military aid to Ukraine is now considered to be the main subject causing the divide in the West, with many in Europe realizing that the potential threat of an escalating conflict on its territory exists.

READ MORE: Europe reticent about supplying Ukraine with weapons & money
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the 51st Munich Security Conference on February 7, 2015. (RIA Novosti/Flickr MFA Russia)
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the 51st Munich Security Conference on February 7, 2015. (RIA Novosti/Flickr MFA Russia)

Political analysts agree that hidden from the public eye, “there is definitely a big divide between the US and the EU on the whole issue of Ukraine,” Vanoost told RT. “It’s very difficult to know how the game will finish, because it's not an open game, it's behind the scenes,” Bruno Drweski, an analyst specializing in eastern Europe, said.

Sanctions against Russia have economically hit the EU itself, but have not affected the US. The conflict is also happening on the European continent, not in America, with the EU generally not eager to further escalate it.

“First of all, the European Union is directly involved if the conflict escalates – which is not the case for the United States. Secondly, in the EU they are realistic enough to know that the government in Kiev is very unstable, that they don't even have full control of all parts of their own military,” Vanoost explained, while speaking about the Western split in regard of the Ukrainian crisis.
However, toning down rhetoric puts some in the firing line, too.

After Merkel said that Europe wants security alongside with Russia, rather against it, and reiterated Berlin’s stance that the Ukrainian conflict must be resolved peacefully, US senator Graham lashed out at the German leader for her refusal to send arms to Ukraine.

“She can't see how arming people who are willing to fight and die for their freedom makes things better,” the US politician said, adding that the West cannot “turn [its] back on the struggling democracy.”

In an effort to silence voices against harsher anti-Russian measures, US Vice President Joe Biden has labeled those questioning sanctions against Moscow “inappropriate and annoying,” Der Spiegel reported, quoting the participants of the Brussels meeting. The US official called on European countries to show unity when it comes to sanctions against Russia. Biden even reportedly added that critics of the policy should be aware that they also benefited from the current low price of oil.
READ MORE: Biden says Europeans questioning Russia sanctions 'inappropriate, annoying' – Spiegel

“The Americans want to run this show, and they have no interest in stopping the crisis in Ukraine because it is really driving a wedge between the Europeans and Russia. And to their [the US’] mind, it is only pushing Europe ever so firmly back into the NATO fold,” Trifkovic told RT.

Meanwhile, Lavrov said Moscow is ready to guarantee agreements between the warring sides if a peaceful solution to the crisis is found, which would satisfy both Kiev and the eastern Ukrainian regions.

READ MORE: Lavrov: US escalated Ukraine crisis at every stage, blamed Russia

Quoting the “aggression” against the federal republic of Yugoslavia, the current crisis has been named “an ongoing assault against the Russian Federation” by the former deputy head of OSCE, Willy Wimmer. Calling for a hastier end to the conflict, which “is the best for all of us,” the ex official of the European security and cooperation organization said that “it's better to have Polish apples in Russian stores than US tanks at the Russian border.”
http://rt.com/news/230291-munich-conference-ukraine-crisis/

Munich Security Conference LIVE UPDATES

Published time: February 07, 2015 11:26 
Edited time: February 07, 2015 21:59 
Reuters/Michaela Rehle
Reuters/Michaela Rehle
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World leaders have gathered to discuss the key challenges in international security policy at the annual Munich Security Conference, which began on Friday. The on-going conflict in Ukraine is top of the agenda.

Sunday, February 8

05:51 GMT:
It is much easier for the US to call for more sanctions, when it has comparatively little trade with Russia, Executive Director of Germany’s Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Dr. Rainer Lindner, told RT in Munich.

“A country that has only 10 percent of trade with Russia than Germany has is easier to ask for sanctions because you don’t have much to lose. Given the fact that the America-Russia trade grew in 2014 by one percent and the German-Russian trade fell down by 20 percent shows you that even despite the fact that there were sanctions introduced by the Americans first and then the EU, the American-Russian trade grew and now we have big problem for European companies in Russia,” he said.

Lindner referred to the Munich conference as the “last chance to bring peace … and we shouldn’t miss it.” He further explained that a political solution is the only viable option. “We are desperately asking for political solutions because we don’t see any changes in [the political actions of] Russia through sanctions.”

Russia has to perceive this as strong signal from the Europeans, Lindner told RT. “It is not the Americans who enter Moscow. It is the Europeans - it is the Chancellor and French president. The appeal and the signal is: ‘don’t miss that chance for maybe a last solution for brining peace into Ukraine and not to deescalate.’”
05:50 GMT:
The time has come to find a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine, Executive Director of Germany’s Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Dr. Rainer Lindner, told RT in Munchen, adding that German and Russian business have taken a big hit.

“The business relations between Germany and Russia are in a very deep crisis as well as the political relations. And as business representatives, we convinced our political partners, both from Russia and our minister of economy, Mr Gabriel, that it is time to find a political solution for that crisis because business in Russia suffers a lot, but, also German business in Russia suffers,” Lindner said.
00:43 GMT:
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that America is thinking about sending “additional”assistance to Kiev, which could include weapons. “I have no doubt that additional assistance of [the] economic kind and other kinds will be going to Ukraine,” Kerry said in Munich.
At the same time, he stressed that the US sees that there is “no military solution” to the conflict in southeastern Ukraine. “And we do so understanding that there is no military solution. The solution is a political, diplomatic one,” Kerry said.

Saturday, February 7

22:48 GMT:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned US Secretary of State John Kerry that US plans to supply Kiev with military equipment might have “unpredictable consequences,” including “disrupting the efforts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine.” He stressed that Russia and US agree that the only basis for any solution is comprehensive national dialogue on constitutional reform.
22:48 GMT:
Russia and the US discussed the prospects of Iran nuclear talks, the situation in Yemen as well as Syria, the Russian foreign ministry said following the meeting between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry. Lavrov noted that there is a need to help establish dialogue between Damascus and opposition and talked about the results of the Syrian meeting in Moscow.
22:45 GMT:
The Franco-German strategy to resolve the conflict in southeastern Ukraine is based on the Minsk agreements, but it also proposes new details on how to implement the peace treaty, including the timing of certain steps, Reuters quoted a senior State Department official as saying. The official spoke after he met with leaders from Germany and Ukraine.
“What is different is there is a bit more detail around how it will be implemented and more of a roadmap on timing, but it is broadly consistent with Minsk,” the official said.
He denied there is any disagreement between US and Europe over supplying Kiev with more weapons.
22:17 GMT:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses during the 51st Munich Security Conference at the 'Bayerischer Hof' hotel in Munich February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michael Dalder)
Russia will not sacrifice its “national interest,” but is ready to “engage constructively” with the US, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during the meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Munich, according to the foreign ministry’s Facebook page. Lavrov added that trying to pressure Russia with sanctions is useless and will not solve the crisis.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses during the 51st Munich Security Conference at the 'Bayerischer Hof' hotel in Munich February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michael Dalder) 

20:20 GMT:
Protesters marched outside the 51st Munich Security Conference to demonstrate against NATO, as world leaders gather to discuss international security concerns including the crisis in eastern Ukraine, Saturday, Ruptly reports. Demonstrators carried placards reading “more armour, more weapons will not create peace," in reference to NATO’s plans to increase their military presence in Eastern Europe.
20:01 GMT:

19:31 GMT:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, Saturday evening during the Security Conference in Munich.
Poroshenko said that united EU support for Kiev was essential in order to stabilize the situation in the Donbass region of the country.
“The success of peace talks largely depends on the consolidation of the European and transatlantic position,” he said.
Mogherini meanwhile underscored the importance of finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine. She also voiced her support for any “peaceful initiatives” of the Ukrainian president, Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel.

Hopes for breakthrough: Moscow talks on Ukraine 'constructive,' joint doc 'possible'

Published time: February 06, 2015 22:15 
Edited time: February 07, 2015 12:08 
Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as French President Francois Hollande looks on during a meeting on resolving the Ukraine crisis at the Kremlin in Moscow February 6, 2015. (Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as French President Francois Hollande looks on during a meeting on resolving the Ukraine crisis at the Kremlin in Moscow February 6, 2015. (Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev)
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Five hour-long Moscow talks behind closed doors between the leaders of Russia, France and Germany have brought hopes for further dialogue between Kiev and E. Ukraine. The meeting was said to be 'constructive', but peace plan details remain a mystery.
Journalists were given a mere 30 seconds to take photographs of the three leaders, and none of them uttered a single word to the press during the photo-shoot.http://rt.com/news/230123-putin-hollande-merkel-talks/

French President Hollande calls for broader autonomy for E.Ukraine

Published time: February 07, 2015 13:57
Edited time: February 07, 2015 20:53 

French President Francois Hollande stands beside a Russian official during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Moscow's Vnukovo airport February 6, 2015. (Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin)
French President Francois Hollande stands beside a Russian official during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Moscow's Vnukovo airport February 6, 2015. (Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin)
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French President Francois Hollande called for “quite strong” autonomy for Ukraine’s eastern regions while speaking on France 2 TV. He also revealed part of the joint plan discussed in Moscow on the conflict’s solution.
On Saturday, Hollande said that the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk need “rather strong” autonomy from Kiev.
“These people have gone to war," Hollande explained"It will be difficult to make them share a common life [with Kiev]."
The French President also revealed part of the joint document under negotiation between Berlin, Moscow, Paris and Kiev. He said it will feature a 50- to 70-kilometer demilitarized zone on each side of the current line dividing militia-held and Kiev-controlled territories.
The revelation comes after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande discussed the situation with the Ukrainian president on Thursday and came to Moscow on Friday to meet President Vladimir Putin. The talks lasted nearly five hours and were characterized as 'constructive' by all sides.
As a result, a possible joint document is in progress on the implementation of the Minsk agreements signed in September last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The document “would include proposals made by Ukrainian President Poroshenko and suggestions put forward today by Russian President Putin,” Peskov told journalists on Friday.http://rt.com/news/230251-ukraine-plan-autonomy-hollande/

Sarkozy: "Crimea cannot be blamed for joining Russia"


February 08, 2015 01:45
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy (Reuters/Philippe Wojazer)
Sarkozy: Crimea cannot be blamed for joining Russia 
Crimea cannot be blamed for seceding from Ukraine – a country in turmoil – and choosing to join Russia, said former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. He also added that Ukraine “is not destined to join the EU.”  675