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Lavrov Calls For Eastern Ukraine Status Talks To Start Soon

September 09, 2014
by RFE/RL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he hopes that talks would start soon on the status of eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have been waging an armed rebellion.

Lavrov, in comments on September 9, also claimed there was a 'heavy concentration' of government forces in an area northeast of Donetsk and accused Kyiv of preparing a strike against the rebels despite a cease-fire.

The separatists are seeking independence for the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where they declared so-called 'people's republics.'

The Ukrainian government has promised greater autonomy to the mainly Russian-speaking region but rules out independence.

​​A 12-point protocol signed at talks in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on September 5 called for the decentralization of power but did not specify what special status the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk should have.

It also called for an 'inclusive national dialogue.'

The talks in Minsk involved representatives of Ukraine and the separatists, as well as envoys from Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The cease-fire, which took effect on September 5, appears largely to hold, despite violations reported by both sides.

Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on September 9 that five Ukrainian servicemen have been killed during the cease-fire.

Lysenko also said the separatists has so far released 648 prisoners to the government side under the agreement.

The European Union on September 8 formally adopted new economic sanctions against Russia over its role in Ukraine but delayed their enforcement to allow time to determine whether the cease-fire can take hold in eastern Ukraine.

A European Commission spokeswoman, Pia Ahrenkilde, said on September the sanctions will enter into force 'in the next few days.'

The EU has said the sanctions could be suspended if Moscow honors the conditions of the cease-fire and pulls its troops out of Ukrainian territory.

Russia denies sending troops and weapons across the border to support the separatists.

EU diplomats said that the new sanctions included a ban on loans and financing from EU countries to major Russian energy firms -- including Rosneft, Transneft, and Gazprom Neft.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the Russian daily newspaper 'Vedomosti' on September 8 that Western airlines could be banned from Russian airspace 'if there are sanctions related to the energy sector, or further restrictions on Russia's financial sector."

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and 'Interfax'

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-ukraine-talks-lavrov/26574561.html

Copyright (c) 2014. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.