Talks aim to revive Ukraine peace push

Ukraine and Russia’s foreign ministers were set to meet their German and French counterparts yesterday in a renewed bid to resolve the smouldering civil war in eastern Ukraine as Moscow seeks to end Western sanctions.

The Ukraine conflict, half-forgotten by the West amid other crises and its own divisions, has claimed over 10,000 lives and still sees daily clashes between pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces.

President Vladimir Putin last Thursday warned that any military “provocations” while Russia hosts the football World Cup would have “very severe consequences for Ukraine as a state”.

The UN Security Council condemned “continuous violations of the ceasefire” and “the tragic humanitarian situation” on the front line, and called for an immediate withdrawal of heavy weapons.

The UN resolution last week was written by France with support from Germany — the core EU powers that brokered the poorly observed 2015 Minsk peace agreement — and was adopted unanimously, including by Russia.

Elections next year

After over a year on the back burner as the French, Germans and Russians headed to the polls in 2017 and 2018, Paris, Berlin and Moscow have now turned their focus back on Ukraine ahead of its own elections next year.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who is hosting the meeting, predicted “tough” talks.

“I have no illusions — the new start will be difficult. The interests and standpoints of Ukraine and Russia are far apart in many areas,” he told the daily Bild.

His French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian warned on Friday “the credibility of the current peace process is at stake”, given a daily death toll and deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The Berlin meeting is an attempt to restore dialogue between the two sides.