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Parties in Ukraine Conflict Are Urged to Build on Progress Guarded Optimism as Cease-Fire Holds in East Ukraine
(about 7 hours later)
BERLIN — Buoyed somewhat by the relative success of a two-week-old cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine have urged fighters and mediators to build on that progress and withdraw weapons and remove land mines as well as prepare for local elections later this year. BERLIN — Buoyed somewhat by the relative success of a two-week-old cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine have urged fighters and mediators to build on that progress and withdraw weapons and remove land mines as well as prepare for local elections later this year.
The four nations held what the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, described as one of their less confrontational meetings late Saturday, reviewing as they have on six previous occasions the state of a truce and overall accord that has never fully held or been implemented. The four nations held what the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, described as one of their less confrontational meetings late Saturday, reviewing as they have on six previous occasions the state of a truce and overall accord that has never fully held or been carried out.
While Mr. Steinmeier noted that every advance remains difficult and negotiators still have not agreed on the withdrawal of weapons, or how to hold elections in eastern Ukraine, he expressed guarded optimism that leaders of the four countries would meet in Paris in early October. While Mr. Steinmeier noted that every advance remained difficult and negotiators still had not agreed on the withdrawal of weapons, or how to hold elections in eastern Ukraine, he expressed guarded optimism that the leaders of the four countries would meet in Paris in early October.
The success or failure of what is known as the Minsk accord “stands and falls with the political will of the conflict parties to stick to the agreement reached in February,” Mr. Steinmeier noted. The plan to meet next month — which the office of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia announced last week as happening Oct. 2 — proves that will endures, Mr. Steinmeier said. The success or failure of what is known as the Minsk accord, finalized in the Belarus capital, “stands and falls with the political will of the conflict parties to stick to the agreement reached in February,” Mr. Steinmeier said. The plan to meet next month proves that will endures, Mr. Steinmeier said. The meeting will be held Oct. 2, according to the office of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
In another sign of a slight warming in relations with Moscow, both Mr. Steinmeier and the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, held talks on the sidelines Saturday night on the civil war in Syria, statements from their ministries said.In another sign of a slight warming in relations with Moscow, both Mr. Steinmeier and the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, held talks on the sidelines Saturday night on the civil war in Syria, statements from their ministries said.
The influx of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones — and Russia’s reported military deployments in Syria — have lent renewed urgency to efforts by diplomats to end the fighting. At least four million Syrians have fled the conflict to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Tens of thousands of Syrians have joined a migrant march through the Balkans this summer in search of refuge and asylum in northern Europe. The influx of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones — and Russia’s reported military deployments in Syria — have lent renewed urgency to efforts by diplomats to end the fighting. At least four million Syrians have fled the conflict to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Tens of thousands of Syrians have joined a migrant march through the Balkans this summer in search of refuge and asylum in Western Europe.
Mr. Steinmeier noted that Saturday’s session on Ukraine was the seventh time the foreign ministers had gathered to discuss the conflict there, which began in March 2014 after Mr. Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and pro-Russian forces began battling Ukrainian soldiers in the east of the country. Mr. Steinmeier noted that Saturday’s session on Ukraine was the seventh time the foreign ministers had gathered to discuss the conflict there, which began in March 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and pro-Russian forces began battling Ukrainian soldiers in the east of the country.
The death toll in the conflict is nearing 8,000, the United Nations has said.The death toll in the conflict is nearing 8,000, the United Nations has said.
Mr. Steinmeier noted after the talks, which lasted three and a half hours, that humanitarian aid was also sorely needed in the east. “We must already think of the coming winter,” he said. “We do not want a repeat of the humanitarian emergency of last winter.”Mr. Steinmeier noted after the talks, which lasted three and a half hours, that humanitarian aid was also sorely needed in the east. “We must already think of the coming winter,” he said. “We do not want a repeat of the humanitarian emergency of last winter.”
The foreign ministers also appealed to the parties involved in the conflict to not only refrain from laying new land mines, but to remove or disable existing ones. For that, and for monitoring weapons withdrawals that were supposed to have occurred months ago, the parties must grant access to monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the four ministers said. The foreign ministers also appealed to the parties involved in the conflict to refrain from laying new land mines, and also remove or disable existing ones. For that, and for monitoring weapons withdrawals that were supposed to have occurred months ago, the parties must grant access to monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the four ministers said.
The Russian news agency Interfax quoted both the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, and the Ukrainian foreign minister, Pavlo Klimkin, as expressing the same guarded optimism as Mr. Steinmeier after the talks on Saturday.The Russian news agency Interfax quoted both the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, and the Ukrainian foreign minister, Pavlo Klimkin, as expressing the same guarded optimism as Mr. Steinmeier after the talks on Saturday.