Obama gives cautious backing for Ukraine-Russia talks

Obama indicated that further sanctions and the controversial "lethal defense" assistance for Ukraine are on the table


Afp February 09, 2015
US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, February 9, 2015. PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama refused to rule out sending arms to Ukraine Monday, but indicated he was willing to see if German-led efforts to broker a ceasefire succeed before making his choice.

Hosting German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House for crisis talks, Obama voiced skepticism about whether a deal can be reached with Russia to end 10 months of bloodshed.

Steep Western sanctions have helped cripple Russia's economy, but have failed to dissuade Vladimir Putin's government from supporting and arming Ukranian rebels.

"My hope is that through these diplomatic efforts those costs have become high enough that Putin's preferred option is for a diplomatic resolution," Obama said.

"I won't prejudge whether or not they'll be successful," he added. "If they are not, then we will want to raise the costs. And we will not relent in that."

Obama indicated that further sanctions and controversial "lethal defense" assistance for Ukraine are on the table, making a tacit distinction between defensive weapons and offensive weapons that would allow Kiev to take the fight to Russian-backed rebels.

Merkel has opposed sending any arms, warning it would further escalate a war that Ukraine cannot win against much larger Russian forces.

But she acknowledged that a drive to reach a ceasefire deal with Putin -- even after he reneged on previous agreements -- may not succeed.

"We have no guarantee," she said in a joint press conference ahead of further talks this week. "I cannot give you a guarantee for the outcome of the Wednesday talks and maybe nothing will come out of it.

"I, myself, would not be able to live without having made this attempt."

The conflict has already killed more than 5,000 people.

With violence escalating by the day, the stakes have become ever-higher as Russian-armed rebels have eaten further into Ukrainian territory.

"If we give up the principle of territorial integrity, we will not be able to maintain the peaceful order of Europe," Merkel warned.

Obama lent credence to the view that Ukraine, Russia and the whole of Europe is now at a fork in the road.

"We're in absolute agreement that the 21st century cannot stand idle, have us stand idle and simply allow the borders of Europe to be redrawn at the barrel of a gun."

Officials from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, meanwhile, were hammering out the details for a four-way summit Wednesday.

Ahead of the possible summit in Minsk, the European Union decided to hold off implementing new sanctions against Russia, giving space for talks.

"The implementation was delayed for several days at the request of Ukrainians who wanted that the other side has less pretext to refuse negotiations or negotiate in unconstructive manner in Minsk summit on Wednesday, if it happens," Lithuania's foreign minister Linas Linkevicius told AFP.

EU foreign ministers had been set to formally sign off on adding 19 more people to a sanctions list over Moscow's alleged backing of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that a "number of points" still needed to be hammered out before the Minsk meeting can take place and wrangling was set to be intense as foreign ministry officials from the four nations met in Berlin.

Based on a largely ignored peace deal agreed in September in Minsk, the new plan may extend rebel control over territory they have seized in recent weeks, although Kiev is adamant the demarcation line agreed in September should not be shifted.

French President Francois Hollande has said the proposal includes the creation of a 50 to 70-kilometer (31 to 44-mile) demilitarised zone around the current frontline.

The issues on the table include questions about levels of regional autonomy and future elections in rebel-controlled areas, Schaefer said.

Fresh fighting over the past 24 hours between government forces and pro-Russian rebels left at least 11 civilians and nine Ukrainian troops dead, Kiev said.

Ukraine's military said that 1,500 Russian troops and convoys of military hardware had crossed into the country over the weekend.

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