Ukraine: Washington Resists Kremlin Plans
After feverish excitement during the weekend, we are back to square one. They saw each other for four hours, they dined together, and journalists even heard outbursts of laughter through the doors of the Russian ambassador's home, a mansion in Paris' 7th Arrondissement. But Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry, the foreign ministers of Russia and the United States, did not settle their "differences."
Since the beginning of the talks, the dreadful head of Russian diplomacy has sought to impose the Kremlin's plan: Ukraine's federalization, meaning a thinly veiled attempt at partitioning the country, which could potentially risk the development of Eastern nations under Russian tutelage. Lavrov would also change his neighboring country — of which he just annexed part of a territory — into a country that is "nonaligned," in order to permanently prevent it from adhering to NATO. Russia wants to take back control of Ukraine's diplomatic, economic and political orientations, a country that is at the heart of its zone of influence — by force or diplomacy. Ever since Aug. 31, 2013, when Barack Obama gave up the plans to launch strikes against Damascus, even when the red line Washington drew had been crossed, Russian officials have been having a field day with the word of the Americans. They take advantage of the U.S. president's "weakness" in order to push their own geostrategic vision.
On Monday, Moscow made the first gesture of appeasement by removing some of its troops stationed at Ukraine's border. But the goal of "federalizing" Russia's neighbor has not been forgotten. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared that the upcoming May 25 elections will not be considered legitimate without "prior reform to the constitution."
Georgia in 2008
However, the U.S. secretary of state could have "refused" to discuss the Russian proposal, according to a European diplomatic source. In Paris, according to this source, Sergei Lavrov did not yield one bit and was convinced of being able to impose his federalization solution for Ukraine on the U.S. and the international community. For the time being, John Kerry has given a flat refusal. Washington requires the withdrawal of Russian troops from their bases in Crimea, the withdrawal of troops stationed at the border, and the opening of doors to international observers. The Americans are guarding against deciding to leave Ukraine with the Russians. "No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine," stated John Kerry. For their part, Kiev authorities have responded very violently toward the Russian "federalization" project. Denouncing ultimatums imposed by Moscow on a sovereign and independent country, the secretary of state accuses Russia of seeking the "capitulation, dismantling, and destruction of Ukraine." In Eastern Europe, the Kremlin's projects for Ukraine have been welcomed with a mix of fear, anger and impatience. Ukraine, said Radoslaw Sikorski, head of Polish diplomacy, has already paid an "enormous price" for its pro-European choice.
Westerners are always looking for a way to get out of a diplomatic crisis. Would they be tempted during the forthcoming negotiations to accept an ambiguous compromise that would — at least for now —prevent Putin from taking any new military action, but pass on Crimea through a transfer of losses and gains? In 2008, during the war in Georgia, Nicolas Sarkozy slowed the advancement of Russian troops towards Tbilisi. But the secessionist republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were never returned to Georgian authorities. "If Barack Obama gives up Crimea, Putin will continue his agenda in eastern Ukraine and Transnistria. And so on and so on, until it is really over," predicts an expert.
The Russian Prime Minister Takes a Visit to Crimea
It is the first visit of a Russian leader of high rank since the annexation of Crimea, officiated on March 21. Monday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced his arrival on the peninsula on Twitter. "Am in Simferopol," he wrote on the social media network after his plane landed in the capital of the autonomous republic. After the Russian annexation of the peninsula, "not a single Crimea inhabitant should lose anything, every single person should benefit," he claimed before holding a meeting on Crimean socio-economic development in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea Sergei Axionov, and the president of the local assembly, Vladimir Konstantinov.
In the process, Medvedev announced that Moscow had intended to create a special economic zone in Crimea by offering tax reductions and minimizing red tape in order to attract investors. "Our goal is to make the peninsula as attractive as possible to investors, so that it can generate enough income for its own development," claimed the head of the government, who is expected in Sebastopol, where Russian troops are based in the Black Sea.
Since the beginning of the talks, the dreadful head of Russian diplomacy has sought to impose the Kremlin's plan: Ukraine's federalization, meaning a thinly veiled attempt at partitioning the country, which could potentially risk the development of Eastern nations under Russian tutelage. Lavrov would also change his neighboring country — of which he just annexed part of a territory — into a country that is "nonaligned," in order to permanently prevent it from adhering to NATO. Russia wants to take back control of Ukraine's diplomatic, economic and political orientations, a country that is at the heart of its zone of influence — by force or diplomacy. Ever since Aug. 31, 2013, when Barack Obama gave up the plans to launch strikes against Damascus, even when the red line Washington drew had been crossed, Russian officials have been having a field day with the word of the Americans. They take advantage of the U.S. president's "weakness" in order to push their own geostrategic vision.
On Monday, Moscow made the first gesture of appeasement by removing some of its troops stationed at Ukraine's border. But the goal of "federalizing" Russia's neighbor has not been forgotten. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared that the upcoming May 25 elections will not be considered legitimate without "prior reform to the constitution."
Georgia in 2008
However, the U.S. secretary of state could have "refused" to discuss the Russian proposal, according to a European diplomatic source. In Paris, according to this source, Sergei Lavrov did not yield one bit and was convinced of being able to impose his federalization solution for Ukraine on the U.S. and the international community. For the time being, John Kerry has given a flat refusal. Washington requires the withdrawal of Russian troops from their bases in Crimea, the withdrawal of troops stationed at the border, and the opening of doors to international observers. The Americans are guarding against deciding to leave Ukraine with the Russians. "No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine," stated John Kerry. For their part, Kiev authorities have responded very violently toward the Russian "federalization" project. Denouncing ultimatums imposed by Moscow on a sovereign and independent country, the secretary of state accuses Russia of seeking the "capitulation, dismantling, and destruction of Ukraine." In Eastern Europe, the Kremlin's projects for Ukraine have been welcomed with a mix of fear, anger and impatience. Ukraine, said Radoslaw Sikorski, head of Polish diplomacy, has already paid an "enormous price" for its pro-European choice.
Westerners are always looking for a way to get out of a diplomatic crisis. Would they be tempted during the forthcoming negotiations to accept an ambiguous compromise that would — at least for now —prevent Putin from taking any new military action, but pass on Crimea through a transfer of losses and gains? In 2008, during the war in Georgia, Nicolas Sarkozy slowed the advancement of Russian troops towards Tbilisi. But the secessionist republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were never returned to Georgian authorities. "If Barack Obama gives up Crimea, Putin will continue his agenda in eastern Ukraine and Transnistria. And so on and so on, until it is really over," predicts an expert.
The Russian Prime Minister Takes a Visit to Crimea
It is the first visit of a Russian leader of high rank since the annexation of Crimea, officiated on March 21. Monday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced his arrival on the peninsula on Twitter. "Am in Simferopol," he wrote on the social media network after his plane landed in the capital of the autonomous republic. After the Russian annexation of the peninsula, "not a single Crimea inhabitant should lose anything, every single person should benefit," he claimed before holding a meeting on Crimean socio-economic development in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea Sergei Axionov, and the president of the local assembly, Vladimir Konstantinov.
In the process, Medvedev announced that Moscow had intended to create a special economic zone in Crimea by offering tax reductions and minimizing red tape in order to attract investors. "Our goal is to make the peninsula as attractive as possible to investors, so that it can generate enough income for its own development," claimed the head of the government, who is expected in Sebastopol, where Russian troops are based in the Black Sea.
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