Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Ukraine rebels urged to delay upcoming elections
“We are now into an unprecedented period … of unprecedented calm”
Michael Bociurkiw, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
PARIS — A summit reviving a European push for peace in eastern Ukraine ended Friday with a call for the delay of rebel plans to hold local elections this month and for both sides to begin a promised withdrawal of smaller-caliber weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a summit in Paris that was overshadowed by international concerns about Russia’s military intervention in Syria this week.
The meeting was the first since the leaders worked out a peace deal in Minsk, Belarus, in February. That accord has been troubled, but there have been signs of progress in recent weeks, including a breakthrough agreement this week on withdrawing tanks and many weapons.
After the meeting, Poroshenko said the Ukrainian government would begin the pullback today, according to Russian news agencies.
The conflict between government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 8,000 people and displaced 2 million since April 2014. The fighting has dwindled significantly in recent weeks, but tensions remain over the final status of the rebel regions.
A particular concern is over a dispute about regional elections planned Oct. 25 and other elections the rebels are proposing Oct. 18 and Nov. 1.
Hollande said after the summit that “we want that local elections can be organized under Ukrainian election law … which means the elections of Oct. 18 cannot be held.” He said the elections could be held 90 days after Ukraine passes a law enabling the vote.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin promised to have an envoy discuss the election issues with rebel leaders, an indication Russia could use its influence to make the rebels agree to a delay.
International observers monitoring the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine have reported over the past few months that heavy weapons have been moved around on both sides of the front line in violation of the February agreement.
Just last week, they spotted a Buratino heavy multiple-rocket-launch system at a rebel training area near the town of Kruhlyk in the separatist-controlled Luhansk region.
“I believe it is the first time we’ve seen this multiple-rocket-launch system there,” Michael Bociurkiw, spokesman for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe monitoring mission, told The Associated Press. “Of course, it’s very destructive. It’s very indiscriminate in the way it causes damage to the area it hits.”
Ukraine does not have the Buratino in its arsenal and believes it could only have been supplied to the rebels by Russia, Ukrainian General Staff spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said.
Russia denies arming the separatists.
The monitors for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe cannot determine the origin of the Buratino, its spokesman said. The concern is that, as with all heavy weaponry, its presence close to the front line raises the risk of escalation.
Overall, though, Bociurkiw was optimistic about the peace process, noting that the latest truce has largely held since it began Sept. 1.
“We are now into an unprecedented period … of unprecedented calm,” he said.
Information for this article was contributed by Dmitry Vlasov, Yuras Karmanau, Lynn Berry, Jim Heintz and Angela Charlton of The Associated Press.