All news

Moscow questions feasibility of returning Ukraine settlement talks back to Geneva format

Еhere is a question shaping up about the feasibility of returning to the format of talks which did not bring the expected result, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
Russian Foreign Ministry ITAR-TASS/Gennadiy Khamelyanin
Russian Foreign Ministry
© ITAR-TASS/Gennadiy Khamelyanin

MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. Moscow ponders whether it would be feasible to return talks on the Ukrainian conflict settlement back to the format of Geneva negotiations as Kiev so far failed to implement agreements reached on April 17 in Geneva, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

“Some (Ukrainian) politicians recently expressed ideas on the necessity of returning to the negotiating process on the Ukrainian conflict settlement into the so-called Geneva format with the participation of representatives from Russia, EU, the United States and Ukraine,” the statement said. “This is what in recent days Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the current head of the government, particularly called for.”

“In this regard, we would like to recall that at the April 17, 2014 meeting in Geneva with the participation of the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers, US state secretary and the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, a joint statement was adopted stipulating concrete initial measures on the deescalation of tensions and security restoration for all citizens,” the ministry said.

“It was noted that the parties to the conflict were to refrain from any acts of violence, intimidation and provocations. The participants in the meeting resolutely condemned and rejected any manifestations of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism,” the statement said.

“Among other things, it was stressed that the declared constitutional process in Ukraine would be inclusive, transparent and accountable. It (the process) would provide for an immediate start of the broad national dialogue involving all regions and political parties in Ukraine and would also take into account all public remarks and proposed amendments.”

However, the Russian ministry said, “It is now obvious that all earlier reached agreements have been flouted by the Ukrainian side. Kiev, instead of deescalation, intensified combat activities in the south-east of the country with the use of heavy military hardware and that led to the loss of thousands of human lives and large-scale destruction.”

“Instead of the real constitutional reformation and the dialogue with their own people, the authorities attempted some indistinct backstage maneuvers, which resulted in nothing but empty promises,” the ministry said.

“By taking a look at the current situation, there is a question shaping up about the feasibility of returning to the format (of talks), which did not bring the expected result,” the statement said. “Would it be better for the Ukrainian side to try to implement earlier agreements and everything that they promised to do?”

According to the UN, more than 4,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled Ukraine’s south-east as a result of clashes between Ukrainian troops and local militias in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions during Kiev’s military operation, conducted since mid-April, to regain control over the breakaway territories, which call themselves the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s republics.