EU stalls Russia sanctions ahead of Minsk meeting
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
10.02.2015 14:09
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EU stalls Russia sanctions ahead of Minsk meeting
The European Union has stalled the implementation of further sanctions against Russia ahead of an all-important meeting in Minsk which is to broker a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow.
A local woman is seen through a shell hole in a fence of a damaged home after shelling in Donetsk, Ukraine, 09.02.2015. The leaders of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia plan to hold an emergency summit on the Ukrainian conflict in Minsk on 11 February, with the meeting being described as a last-ditch attempt to find a peaceful solution to the cri
As John Beauchamp reports, the decision comes ahead of a meeting planned in the Belarusian capital of Minsk between Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia which is hoped to flesh out a renewed ceasefire between Kiev and Moscow.
While the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini said that Ukraine was “consulted” on the sanctions, Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told journalists after the Brussels meet that Kiev requested the EU to hold back on their implementation.
“It was a Ukrainian request for the EU not to impose these sanctions immediately [on Monday], and it was hard to deny them this. The Ukrainians believe that such a move by the EU will make it easier to negotiate [in Minsk] and may give a new chance, so such a request from Ukraine was accepted by the [EU’s foreign ministers],” he said.
US President Barack Obama (L) and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel (R) hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington DC, USA, 09.02.2015. Photo: PAP/EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS
In the diplomatic commotion ahead of the Minsk meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also in Washington on Monday to meet with US President Barack Obama to discuss coordinated action on Ukraine. The EU-US will act in unison if there is no breakthrough in Minsk, Obama said.
“There is no doubt that if, in fact, diplomacy fails this week, there is going to continue to be a strong unified response between the United States and Europe. That’s not going to change,” Obama said, adding that “there may be some tactical disagreements – there may not be – but the broad principle [is] that we have to stand up for not just Ukraine but the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignity […].”
These “tactical disagreements”, as Obama put it, mainly concern the provision of weapons to Ukraine. While Washington has not yet decided on supplying defensive weapons to Kiev, Obama did not rule them out if diplomatic talks in Minsk failed.