Coerced to peace again

It looks as if these days the West resumed pressurizing Ukraine to force it into fulfilling its obligations under the Minsk agreements as soon as possible. Meanwhile, neither Russia (as a signatory of the agreements) nor Russia-supported separatists have fulfilled the first two key conditions: ceasefire and pull-out of heavy weapons from the line of contact.

During their visit to Kyiv in late February the foreign ministers of Germany and France, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault, spoke about the necessity of Ukraine’s compliance with the Minsk agreements, amending the Constitution, and passing the laws on election and amnesty.

Now pressure on Ukraine has increased as chairpersons of committees on foreign affairs of Germany, France, and Poland (Norbert Roettgen, Elizabeth Guigou, and Grzegorz Schetyna, respectively) joined in, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland. They all arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday.

At a media briefing Roettgen emphasized the necessity of passing legislation on local elections in Donbas.

“Ukraine should not merely bide its time waiting till Russia fulfills its obligations under the Minsk agreements. Ukraine must be active and prove that it is prepared to fulfill the demands and prepare the legislation including a new election law, which enables elections in the regions of eastern Ukraine,” said he, as quoted by UNIAN.

In his turn, Schetyna urged Ukrainian MPs to arrive at a consensus concerning such an election, so that “the Ukrainian parties agreed and reach a shared opinion of the situation.” This, according to the Polish politician, should become a starting point for the ceasefire in Donbas and the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Guigou also noted that it is not in Ukraine’s best interests to give reasons to believe that constitutional amendments could be postponed for a long time.

Answering the journalists’ question, the German MP remarked that a line should be drawn between the passing of the law on election and the holding of an actual election. Of course, an election can only be held when peace returns to the region, and when people can “come and vote freely.”

However, none of the foreign guests explained how to ensure holding elections in the occupied territories according to Ukrainian legislation. If held, the election would resemble the Crimean referendum at best.

We would like to remind our readers that in January Nuland met Putin’s aide Vladislav Surkov in Kaliningrad, where the two discussed the Minsk agreements. This prompted Mykhailo Basarab, a political scientist, to write the following: “Bad news from the MPs: Nuland is launching a massive pressure attack on the faction leaders… Elections in the occupied territories. Who would doubt that.”

But then a question suggests itself: why Europe and America do not force Russia and its puppets the separatists fulfill the first two paragraphs of the Minsk agreements, and then start pressurizing Ukraine. Currently it looks as though our partners decided to pressurize the weaker one. Moreover, all experts share Ukraine’s opinion that it is impossible to hold elections in Donbas.

On the other hand, holding such an election without control on the part of Ukraine and OSCE would effectively mean the legitimization of the existing criminal regime in Donbas. This would be nourishing a viper in Ukraine’s bosom. After that, Russia would feel free to manipulate Ukraine as it pleases. Is this the West’s goal? Or is it resuming trade with Russia at any costs?