5 Mar 2014

US pushes Russia to engage in ‘direct talks’ with Ukraine

John Kerry urges Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to engage in direct talks with Ukraine, while in Donetsk, pro-Russian protesters regain control of a local government building.

Ukraine crisis

The US secretary of state and Mr Lavrov met for a brief meeting in Paris – their first since the crisis began.

The war of words between the US and Russia has been fierce – with the US threatening economic sanctions and Russia’s Vladimir Putin accusing the US of conducting a “democratic experiment” in Ukraine, treating the people of the country like “lab rats”.

Earlier on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the US, UK and Ukraine also called for Moscow to enter into direct talks with Kiev.

“The United States, United Kingdom and Ukraine agreed that direct talks between Ukraine and Russia, facilitated as needed by members of the international community, are crucial to resolving the current situation,” a joint statement said.

The three politicians were meeting to discuss the crisis in the context of the Budapest Memorandum, a 1994 agreement between the UK, US and Russia, which guaranteed Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.

It will be a test this afternoon of whether Russia is prepared to sit down with Ukraine, and we will strongly recommend that they do so. William Hague

The statement said: “The United Kingdom and United States will continue to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and we commend the new Ukrainian government for not taking actions that might escalate the situation.

“Russia’s continued violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity can only degrade Russia’s international standing and lead to greater political and economic consequences.”

Foreign Secretary Hague said he was “not optimistic” that Russia will agree to create a “contact group”, but said it is right to try every diplomatic opportunity to de-escalate this crisis.

He said: “If we can’t make progress on that, then of course there will be costs and consequences; as I’ve said before and as the prime minister and President Obama have said, for Russia there has to be, for such a violation of the independence and the sovereignty of another nation.

Read more on Crimea from FactCheck: separating myth from reality

“But we will at all times keep our channels of communication to Russia open, and today is one of the means by which we are doing that. It will be a test this afternoon of whether Russia is prepared to sit down with Ukraine, and we will strongly recommend that they do so.”

Nato and Russia will hold parallel talks in Brussels on Thursday, amid concerns that a standoff between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea could still spark violence, or that Moscow could also intervene in the mainly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.

The meeting comes as Ukraine’s new prime minister Arseny Yatseniuk said that Russian “aggression” in Crimea was having an “”extremely negative” impact on the country’s economy. The country is holding talks with the IMF aimed at avoiding financial bankruptcy.

Donetsk battles

On the ground in Ukraine, a battle over control fof Donetsk’s regional government headquarters has been taking place. Early on Wednesday witnesses said the country’s flag was raised over the government headquarters in the eastern city of Donetsk, where a Russian flag had stood since Saturday.

Police had evacuated the building, which has been occupied since Monday by pro-Russian demonstrators. The evacuation reportedly began after reports the building was booby-trapped with bombs.

A crowd of around 200 pro-Russian demonstrators gathered at the offices, and it was reported later on Wednesday that the pro-Russian group had recaptured the building.

Witnesses said the crowd threw open the front doors and re-entered the building, despite a heavy police presence. The Russian flag is reported to have been raised again at the building.

In further signs of tensions, there were reports that the UN’s special representative to Ukraine had been threatened by armed men in Crimea.

Earlier reports had suggested that he had been “held” by the armed men. ITV News Europe Editor James Mates tweeted that he was with Robert Serry in a coffee shop and that men outside were preventing him from leaving.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has proposed an €11bn aid package for Ukraine to help “stabilise its economic and financial situation”. Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said it included “short and medium-term measures offering trade, economic, technical and financial assistance”.

The package includes loans worth €1.6bn, €1.4bn in grants – more than 40 per cent of which would be available over the next two years – and another €3bn from the European Investment Bank.

The announcement follows a $1bn package promised by the US government, which it said would help stabilise the economy and set up elections.

Ukraine in Commons

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, David Cameron said the “status quo” is “unacceptable”.

“What I think we need to do is first of all be absolutely clear that the status quo we are faced with today, where Russian troops are outside their bases in the Crimea, is unacceptable,” he said.

“As I have said, costs and consequences need to follow from that. That is why, for instance, we have suspended preparations for the G8 meeting. Indeed, it is hard to see in these circumstances how a G8 meeting can properly go ahead.”

Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged his “full support” to the government in securing an end to the crisis.

“All of us recognise this is a delicate and dangerous moment for international security,” he said. “It is the combination of diplomacy, resolve in the international community and support for the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian self-determination that is the best hope for securing an end to this crisis.

“In the pursuit of that goal, I can assure you the government will have our full support.”

Mr Cameron said: “I’m very grateful for what you have said this morning, I think just as we need to see tomorrow a voice of unity and clarity from the countries of the European Union, not always easy to get when there are 28 different nations around the table.

“But it is also very welcome there is such a clear and unified voice going out from this House to say to the Russian government ‘What you have done is wrong, what you have done should not be allowed to stand and there will be costs and consequences, not only for what has been done already, but further costs and consequences if you take this further’.”