Glimmer of hope af ter crisis talks
HOPES of a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis were raised last night after talks between the United States and Russia forged a ‘clearer’ path.
In the first encouraging signs for many weeks, US secretary of state Antony Blinken suggested Russia and the US could ensure each other’s ‘mutual security’, thereby averting a major conflict in Ukraine.
However, Russia has insisted its 100,000 troops will remain on Ukraine’s border until its security demands have been met.
After a week of heightened tensions between Russia and the West, Mr Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov sounded optimistic that war could be averted.
They met for 90 minutes in Geneva yesterday and have agreed to further talks in the weeks ahead. Experts said last night the likelihood of conflict in Ukraine was ‘50:50’.
In another positive step, Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is likely to meet his Kremlin equivalent Sergei Shoigu for crisis talks, possibly in Moscow.
Speaking last night, Mr Blinken said: ‘We anticipate that we’ll get together again across the table and see if we continue to advance this through diplomacy.
‘But that’s contingent on Russia stopping its aggression toward Ukraine. That’s the choice Russia faces. It can choose the path of diplomacy that can lead to peace and security or the path that will lead only to conflict, severe consequences, and international condemnation.
‘Right now there’s still a window, a brief one, to bring those talks to a successful conclusion and address the remaining concerns of all sides.
‘We didn’t expect any major breakthroughs to happen today, but I believe we are now on a clearer path in terms of understanding each other’s concerns, each other’s positions.’
Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014. Since then fighting has continued in the country’s eastern regions, known as the Donbas, where 15,000 have been killed in clashes between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists.
In recent months Russia has amassed more than enough troops to invade Ukraine again but this time could take control of the majority of the country, not just its eastern regions.
In recent weeks a conflict has seemed inevitable and Britain announced it was sending 2,000 tankbusting weapons to Ukraine in a bid to thwart an advance by Russian forces – a sign that ministers were convinced Russia intended to invade.
Mr Blinken said Mr Lavrov had repeated Russia’s assertion that it had no intention of invading Ukraine. He added: ‘I suggested that if Russia wants to begin to convince the world it has no aggressive intent towards Ukraine, a good place to start would be removing its forces as well as engaging in diplomacy and dialogue, which is what we did today and what we plan to do in the days and weeks ahead.’
For the first time, the US also promised to provide a written response to Russian security demands, such as the removal of Western troops from former Soviet republics and a veto on states joining Nato. Until now, the US has simply dismissed these demands as ‘non-starters’.
Neither side ruled out a possible meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin to resolve the situation.
Mr Lavrov described the talks as ‘constructive’ but insisted Ukraine could not be permitted to join Nato. It is possible the US provided Russia with an assurance on this issue but not a written guarantee.
Former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb, who has been involved in similar negotiations, said: ‘Russia will have to think twice whether to go in [to Ukraine] or not, not only in terms of economic sanctions but the reaction of the international community. I think we are in a 50:50 situation right now and the next few weeks will decide what happens.’
‘Russia can choose the path of diplomacy’