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Ukraine Opens Talks but Eastern Rebels Aren’t Invited Talks on Ukraine Crisis Open in Kiev Without Representation for Separatists
(about 9 hours later)
KIEV, Ukraine — Senior Ukrainian officials opened talks here on Wednesday that they portrayed as an effort to end the country’s six-month-old political crisis, but their initial remarks suggested little compromise by the provisional Ukrainian government, casting doubt that pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine would pay any heed. KIEV, Ukraine — Senior Ukrainian officials and leading public figures opened talks here on Wednesday that they portrayed as an effort to end the country’s six-month-old political crisis, but the provisional Ukrainian government offered little compromise and there was no one present directly representing the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Among the first to speak was the acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, who reiterated a promise to fight graft and urged unity, but made no particular outreach to the besieged eastern regions where separatist leaders on Sunday held ballot referendums that they said showed broad public support for seceding from Ukraine and perhaps joining Russia. Officials said the negotiating effort would continue with a session on Saturday in the embattled eastern city of Donetsk.
Pro-Russian leaders in the east reacted dismissively, saying they were not invited to participate in the so-called round-table talks, while officials connected to the region who did attend urged the government to develop concrete proposals that could be presented at the next meeting.
Oleksandr Yefremov, a member of Parliament from Luhansk, urged the provisional government to put forward solid initiatives. “I really would like to see all the officials who are now represented by the acting president and prime minister come to the round table, come with some proposals and not just slogans,” Mr. Yefremov said. “We have to give answers.”
While some officials from the east, like Mr. Yefremov, attended the talks, the provisional government in Kiev had vowed not to negotiate with the leaders of the masked gunmen, whom they refer to as “terrorists” and “killers.” As a result there were no representatives of the separatist factions, who are crucial to reaching an accord that might resolve the crisis.
Mr. Yefremov, in his opening remarks, said he expected more of a presence from his region, and he complained that the talks had opened with sharp words by a leader of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Filaret, blaming Russia for the crisis.
“I am surprised that nobody is here from Luhansk,” he said, “and I also don’t understand why we start our dialogue with morality.” He added, “We have people who think differently, who have different culture, and we have a responsibility to create a state that corresponds to the needs of our people.”
Sergei A. Taruta, the billionaire governor of Donetsk, another embattled eastern region, also attended the talks, which were held in the Parliament building and featured a two former presidents of Ukraine as well as religious leaders. While billed as round-table talks, the table itself was oblong in shape.
Mr. Taruta warned that there was genuine opposition in the east, known collectively as Donbass. “The majority of Donbass population is for Ukraine’s unity, but at the same time against the current authorities in Kiev,” he said.
The acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, was among the first to speak on Wednesday, and he reiterated a promise to fight graft and urged unity. But he made no particular outreach to the besieged eastern regions where separatist leaders on Sunday held referendums that they said showed broad public support for seceding from Ukraine.
“To fight corruption and provide people with jobs is our main task,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said. “And that will unite our country.”“To fight corruption and provide people with jobs is our main task,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said. “And that will unite our country.”
While some officials from the east attended the so-called round-table talks, the provisional government in Kiev had vowed not to negotiate with the leaders of the masked gunmen whom they refer to as “terrorists” and “killers.” As a result there were no representatives of the separatist factions, who seem crucial to reaching an accord that might resolve the crisis. The overwhelming number of officials in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting were strongly aligned with the central government in Kiev. They included the former prime minister and now presidential candidate, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, as well as the ambassadors to Ukraine from the United States and the European Union.
Oleksandr Yefremov, a member of Parliament and former governor of the Luhansk region, one of the separatist strongholds in the east, said in opening remarks that he expected more of a presence from his region, and he complained that the talks had opened with sharp words by a leader of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Filaret, blaming Russia for the crisis. The Kiev government has been working to develop a decentralization plan that would empower local officials by giving them additional budget authority. It is an effort to answer demands in the east, supported by Russia, for a new federalization program that would substantially weaken the central government in favor of stronger regional governors.
“I am surprised that nobody is here from Luhansk,” Mr. Yefremov said, “and I also don’t understand why we start our dialogue with morality.” He added, “We have people who think differently, who have different culture, and we have a responsibility to create a state that corresponds to the needs of our people.” Volodymyr Groysman, the deputy prime minister leading the decentralization effort, said: “I suggest to form an agenda. Let’s take some questions that need clear answers.”
Sergei Taruta, the governor of Donetsk, another embattled eastern region, also attended the talks, which were held in Parliament. But the overwhelming number of officials seemed strongly aligned with the central government in Kiev. They included the former prime minister and now presidential candidate, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, as well as the ambassadors to Ukraine from the United States and the European Union. “I see smiles on some faces,” Mr. Groysman added. “And I really hope that these smiles on your faces express readiness to meet the challenges we have today. Because nobody will give us a second chance. We will either win back the trust of the people in the east and west, or we will suffer a bad fate.”
The Kiev government has been working to develop a “decentralization” plan that would empower local officials by giving them additional budget authority. It is an effort to answer demands in the east, supported by Russia, for a new “federalization” program that would substantially weaken the central government in favor of stronger regional governors. One official who does hold credibility in the east, the mayor of Donetsk, Aleksandr A. Lukyanchenko, urged officials at the talks to pay attention to the results of Sunday’s referendum.
One official who does hold credibility in the east, the mayor of Donetsk, Aleksandr A. Lukyanchenko, urged officials at the talks to pay attention to the results of Sunday’s referendum. While he acknowledged that the referendum may not be regarded as legitimate, he said it nonetheless demonstrated a genuine lack of faith in the Kiev government. While he acknowledged that the referendum might not be regarded as legitimate, he said it nonetheless demonstrated a genuine lack of faith in the Kiev government.
Sergey Tigipko, another presidential candidate and former economics minister, urged that future talks be held in eastern Ukraine so that officials could get a better understanding of demands in the region. “Today, we don’t understand what the east wants,” Mr. Tigipko said. “In order to understand them, we need to talk about it there.” He urged that officials in Kiev develop a package that could be presented to residents of eastern Ukraine as the government’s proposal for solving the crisis. Sergey Tigipko, another presidential candidate and a former economics minister, urged that future talks be held in eastern Ukraine so that officials could get a better understanding of demands in the region. “Today, we don’t understand what the east wants,” Mr. Tigipko said. “In order to understand them, we need to talk about it there.”
As the talks unfolded in Kiev on Wednesday, the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said that two other former Soviet republics, Georgia and Moldova, would sign agreements with the European Union, tightening political and economic ties, on June 27. The refusal by Ukraine’s former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, to sign similar agreements last fall — after long promising that he would do so — set off the protests in Kiev that cascaded into months of unrest and ultimately led to Mr. Yanukovych’s ouster. As the talks unfolded in Kiev on Wednesday, the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said two other former Soviet republics, Georgia and Moldova, would sign agreements with the European Union on June 27, tightening political and economic ties.
The refusal by Ukraine’s former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, to sign similar agreements last fall — after long promising that he would do so — set off the protests in Kiev that cascaded into months of unrest and ultimately led to Mr. Yanukovych’s ouster.
Although the talks in Kiev were clearly not headed to a quick settlement, Russian officials continued to lend support to the idea of a negotiated compromise.Although the talks in Kiev were clearly not headed to a quick settlement, Russian officials continued to lend support to the idea of a negotiated compromise.
“I am deeply convinced that even though the crisis in Ukraine has gone very far and the escalation of the conflict continues, there are still reserves and resources to stop the crisis in order to decrease the escalation of the conflict,” Sergei Naryshkin, the speaker of the lower house of Parliament said in an interview on Rossiya 24 television. “The road to that lies through a dialogue only, through a dialogue of all political powers inside Ukraine.” “I am deeply convinced that even though the crisis in Ukraine has gone very far and the escalation of the conflict continues, there are still reserves and resources to stop the crisis in order to decrease the escalation of the conflict,” Sergei Naryshkin, the speaker of the lower house of the Duma, the Russian Parliament, said in an interview on Rossiya 24 television. “The road to that lies through a dialogue only, through a dialogue of all political powers inside Ukraine.”