The next meeting of strategists-parapsychologists to be held in Moscow?

The more escalated the conflict in eastern Ukraine becomes (in which Russia is directly involved), the more plans on settling the situation in Donbas are appearing. But for some reason, these well-wishers always emphasize this is a Ukrainian crisis. No wonder when it comes from foreigners, who do not understand the complexity of the situation in our country and receive information primarily from Russian sources. But it is alarming when this phrase is used in various documents created by Ukrainian politicians or businessmen.

A proof of that is a new plan made of 10 proposals aimed at settling the Ukrainian conflict called Geneva Ukraine Initiative, which was prepared last Sunday by 16 businessmen at a private meeting in the Swiss capital. Among them, Ukraine was represented by chairperson of Horizon Capital Natalia Yaresko, head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration Serhii Taruta, owner of EastOne Group Viktor Pinchuk, and president of KM Core Yevhen Utkin. Respectively, there were four Russian representatives: heads of Rossnano, Sberbank, VTB Bank, and Severstal. Among other signatories were heads of BASF, EY, PepsiCo, Alcoa, Siemens, the European Investment Bank, and two heads of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

According to media reports, this meeting was initiated by the WEF founder Klaus Schwab.

World business leaders expressed a hope that their proposals on settling the conflict in Ukraine would be taken into account and the political leaders will be able to meet in the near future to bring the conflict to an end and promise full support for such a political process.

Here are the 10 proposals of the plan.

1. Build on the 12 point ceasefire plan elaborated under the OSCE. Ensure a sustained truce, supporting the immediate end of violence and further loss of life. Acknowledge the primacy of the value of human life.

2. Refrain from using provocative and belligerent language, recognizing that it is only through dialog conducted in an honest and collaborative spirit that progress, security, and sustainable peace can be achieved.

3. Intensify the process of comprehensive dialog on a national Ukrainian level, between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and between Europe, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States with the commitment to establish shared objectives and identify key milestones for the solutions to the present challenges.

4. Maintain a security framework in  Ukraine’s eastern region under the oversight of the OSCE, to last until the territorial security is guaranteed.

5. Initiate an inclusive political process towards the decentralization of power in Ukraine, where additional rights are delegated from the central government to the regions, while also supporting guarantees for minority and language rights.

6. Guarantee the security and sovereignty of Ukraine by the international community. Recognize the supremacy of international law above national interests. Recognize the right of self-determination but encourage to consider a policy of military non-alignment for Ukraine, comparable to the status of other European countries (i.e. Finland, Sweden, Switzerland).

7. Identify how sanctions and counter-sanctions can be avoided and rolled-back in accordance with key milestones achieved in the process of reconciliation, as part of a process of re-establishing normal business dialog and relations.

8. Put into operation an economic recovery plan which addresses the devastation created by the conflict, the need for humanitarian assistance and the rehabilitation of infrastructure required. Establish for this a multi-stakeholder process and encourage all actors, particularly business, to jointly invest.

9. Coordinate and establish special association and trade agreements for Ukraine as well with the European Union as with the Russian Federation, and later possibly with the Eurasian Economic Community, to stabilize Ukraine’s economy, allowing Ukrainian companies to boost job creation, to improve long-term growth prospects and to reach international level of competitiveness.

10. Organize a summit for the top political leaders from Europe and European countries involved, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States in Geneva within a short timeframe to advance the reconciliation process.

The Day contacted some Ukrainian signatories of this plan, Geneva Ukraine Initiative, in order to reveal the atmosphere at that fateful meeting and find out why exactly those proposals were formulated and adopted, without so much as even mentioning Russia which caused the conflict and annexed Crimea. However, Horizon Capital CEO Natalia Yaresko refused to comment on this peaceful business initiative. Another signatory, board director and president of KM Core Yevhen UTKIN said the following:

“First of all, none of the participants of that meeting wants war. Each supports a peaceful solution of the conflict.

“Concerning the decisions made, there are several aspects. First of all, there are certain moments where the parties will probably never reach an agreement, in particular, the Crimean question. There is our standpoint, and that of Russia, and they are wide as poles apart. Our task was to find a starting point for the negotiation. In fact, those common grounds are really scarce. But first steps need to be made.

“Of course, for us this cannot be an optimal solution. The best solution for us, according to one well-known writer, is such a strategy where they leave us alone. However, they obviously have another strategy and other goals. Yet someone has to begin somewhere.

“There are many questions and things which will never be acceptable for us. However, in order to stop the bloodshed, we must look for points of contact, and they are outlined in these 10 paragraphs.”

“THIS IS NOTHING BUT A PLAN OF UKRAINE’S FULL CAPITULATION BEFORE THE RUSSIAN AGGRESSOR”

Volodymyr OHRYZKO, former minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine, Kyiv:

“I have acquainted myself with those proposals and, frankly, I am ashamed for our Ukrainian participants who signed that document. In fact, it contains nothing but betrayal of Ukraine’s interests. There is no single word to mention Russia’s aggression, its responsibility for thousands of lost Ukrainian lives, for the murder of hundreds of MH17 passengers and crew. There is no mention of Russia’s responsibility for billions worth of damage to Ukraine’s economy. In other words, this is a very partial view of the situation.

“Let us take Paragraph One. What does it say about the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine? Nothing.

“Or Paragraph Three, which urges to outline some joint approaches to the challenges we are facing today. I beg your pardon, but first we have to clearly define who is who, as one former Soviet president once said. Also, we have to realize that without condemning Russia and acknowledging its aggression all talk about the future is absolutely pointless.

“Take a look at Paragraph Four. What do we have to make out of ‘the preservation of safety framework in the eastern region of Ukraine’? Does it mean the freezing of the conflict in the east of Ukraine, or something else? This is very conditional, very strange wording which in fact shows the wish to freeze the conflict and perpetuate it after, say, the Transnistrian model.

“And look at what Paragraph Six says. On the one hand, it postulates the guarantees of Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, exclusive of territorial integrity, by the international community. Now, we had such guarantees laid down in the Budapest Memorandum, and we know all too well what they are worth. What we see here is an effective prohibition for Ukraine to join NATO. Instead, Ukraine should become a non-aligned state, even though Finland and Sweden are seriously considering joining the Alliance.

“Here we come to Paragraph Seven. Does it say anything about condemning Russia for its actions? Instead, it is proposed to lift the sanctions.

“Take Paragraph Eight, the revival of economy. Not a single word to mention Russia’s responsibility for the damage done.

“Paragraph Nine is just fantastic. It is absolutely, totally beyond comprehension. It proposes a special association and trade agreements both with the         EU and the Russian Federation and later, possibly, with the Eurasian Economic Community. In other words, it is pushing Ukraine towards the EurAsEC, without a slightest chance to ever become part of the European Union.

“Honestly, it is very sad that the signatories, rather well-known in Ukraine, sink so low as to sell Ukraine down the river. This plan should not even be on the table in the first place. This is nothing but a plan of Ukraine’s full capitulation before the Russian aggressor.

“That is why I think it could simply be left as a reminder for the generations to come, as an example of an absolute irresponsibility of the individuals who signed it.

“What I see fills me with nothing but shame for our signatories.

“I get to hear now from many colleagues in Europe that it is necessary to hold more conferences like the Berlin Congress and to discuss what could be done about Russia. It is a good idea, but only under one condition, I    should say: to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. At any rate, following the road map offered by those Geneva signatories is totally pointless because they will simply legalize Russia’s international terrorism on the European level, which I believe none of us needs. So, the question arises of the practicability of such conferences. Holding just another talk shop is one thing; drawing conclusions and joining forces to counteract the aggressor is quite another. However, the Geneva meeting offers nothing.”