Tillerson’s tough stance on Ukraine,
Secretary of state Rex Tillerson takes tough stance against Moscow
The United States yesterday told Russia that it must take the first steps to reduce tension in eastern Ukraine, and that sanctions would remain until it changed its regional behaviour.
In surprisingly blunt language just two days after presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Germany, the US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said Russia should use its influence with separatists in Ukraine’s east to fully restore a truce.
Mr Tillerson said Moscow should persuade the militants to end harassment and attacks of international monitors and pull back their heavy weaponry to lines agreed to under a twoyear-old accord known as the Minsk Agreement.
He said a primary goal of the US “is to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” and that would be “required in order for the US and Russia to improve our relationship”.
“It is necessary for Russia to take the first steps to de-escalate the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine,” Mr Tillerson said, alongside Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko.
“This is necessary for us to make any movement.
“We do call on Russia to honour its commitments that were made under the Minsk accords and to exercise influence over the separatists in the region.
“The US and EU sanctions on Russia will remain in place until Moscow reverses the actions that triggered these particular sanctions.”
Mr Tillerson’s tough talk clearly pleased Mr Poroshenko, who has long complained about Russian interference in his country’s east and watched nervously as the Trump administration sought to improve ties with Moscow.
He thanked Mr Tillerson for the continued US commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and expressed deep appreciation for his “symbolic and timely visit immediately after the meetings at the G20 in Hamburg”, where Mr Trump met Mr Putin for the first time.
Mr Poroshenko praised Mr Tillerson’s decision last week to appoint a special envoy for Ukraine negotiations – former US ambassador to Nato Kurt Volker, who is widely considered to be a hawk on Russia.
Mr Volker will oversee US efforts to press Ukraine and Russia to fully comply with the Minsk Agreement, which lays out a map for reducing the conflict that has claimed an estimated 10,000 lives over the past three years.
The accord was reached in early 2015 in the capital of Belarus by the leaders of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia, but has yet to be implemented.
Under former president Barack Obama, the US took a hands-off approach to Minsk, allowing the Europeans to take the lead.
“We are disappointed by the lack of progress under the Minsk process and that’s why we are appointing a special representative,” Mr Tillerson said.
Mr Poroshenko, who said Mr Volker would remain in Ukraine for several days, maintained that a resolution to the crisis “needs only the political will of Moscow”.
“Kiev did not plan, did not start this war,” he said.
“It was planned and started in Moscow. That’s why the keys to peaceful settlement are in Moscow.”
Russia denies charges that it is actively involved in the insurgency, but has said that in order for peace to take hold, Kiev must agree to political reforms that would give the east greater autonomy.
Yesterday, Mr Poroshenko met the visiting UN secretary general Antonio Guterres and called on the world body to take a more active role in addressing Ukraine’s problems.
“We came to agreement with the secretary general that Ukraine and the whole world today need strong and decisive actions by the UN like never before,” Mr Poroshenko said.
Mr Guterres, who earlier held talks with Ukrainian prime minister Volodymyr Groysman, called for Kiev and Moscow to honour a ceasefire intended to allow local farmers to harvest their crops. Brokered by international monitors, the so-called “harvest ceasefire” agreement went into force on June 24.
“We know that fighting is still happening. And, of course, our appeal is for a complete ceasefire,” Mr Guterres said.