Russland
Vladimir Putin’s news conference following BRICS Summit (05.09.2017)
(…) Question: I have a question about eastern Ukraine. Kiev has recently started promoting the idea of deploying UN peacekeepers there. Poroshenko speaks about this often, and there is even a plan according to which the idea should be taken to the UN General Assembly, which opens soon, if Russia blocks it at the Security Council. What do you think about this idea? Is it practicable, would it help?
Vladimir Putin: This is impossible to do via the General Assembly, because UN peacekeepers cannot function other than pursuant to Security Council resolutions. But that is not the point.
You are saying that someone wants to push something through. In fact, I do not see anything wrong with that. I have already said many times that I support the idea of arming the OSCE mission, but the OSCE itself refuses to arm its field personnel, since it has neither the relevant people nor the experience of such work.
In this context, I believe that the presence of UN peacekeepers, not even peacekeepers, but those who provide security for the OSCE mission, is quite appropriate and I do not see anything wrong with that; on the contrary, I believe that this would help resolve the situation in southeastern Ukraine. Of course, we can talk only about ensuring the security of the OSCE staff. This is my first point.
The second point is that, in this regard, these forces should be located on the demarcation line only and on no other territories.
Thirdly, this issue should be resolved only after disengaging the parties and removing the heavy equipment. This cannot be resolved without direct contact with representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic.
I believe that if all this is done, it would definitely benefit resolving the situation in southeastern Ukraine. We will consider this as instructions to the Foreign Ministry to submit a relevant resolution to the Security Council. (…)
Quelle: Externer Link: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/55535
Telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel (11.09.2017)
(…) Vladimir Putin spoke in detail on the Russian initiative to establish a UN mission to aid the protection of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM). Taking into account the views communicated by Angela Merkel, the Russian leader expressed readiness to add to the functions of the above-mentioned UN mission proposed in the Russian draft resolution of the Security Council.
The protection of OSCE observers by the UN is envisioned not only on the contact line after the disengagement of the forces and equipment of both sides, but also in other places where the OSCE SMM conducts its inspection visits in accordance with the Minsk Package of Measures.
Quelle: Externer Link: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/55593
Ukraine
Comment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding mass media publication of 5 September 2017 concerning the recent statements by the Russian leadership on the prospect of deployment of UN peacekeepers in Donbas (05.09.2017)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has taken into account the statement made by the President of the Russian Federation concerning the prospect of deployment of UN peacekeepers in Donbas as published by mass media. The Ministry believes that the deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation could contribute to the restoration of peace and security in the east of Ukraine. In this context, MFA would like to draw attention to the fact that, in March 2015, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko sent an official request to the UN Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council with regard to the deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation in the Ukrainian territory. This request was circulated on 2 April 2015 as an official document of the UN Security Council. The corresponding initiative of the President of Ukraine had been previously supported by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The UN peacekeeping operation of this nature would aim at ensuring lasting peace in certain parts of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions of Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk Agreements and in line with the fundamental principles and norms of the UN Charter, along with the simultaneous enhancement of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.
Since that time Russia, the aggressor state, has continuously sabotaged Ukraine’s proposals, refusing to take our request to the UN Security Council into consideration and even claiming, as was the case in June 2016, that Ukraine had never made its request to the Security Council.
Ukraine has always advocated a clear position that any international peacekeeping presence must be deployed by consent of and after extensive consultations with the Ukrainian side, that it must involve the withdrawal of all occupation troops and mercenaries as well as their weapons from the territory of Ukraine, and ensure reliable control over the Ukrainian-Russian border to prevent Russian military, weapons, equipment and mercenaries from infiltrating the Ukrainian territory.
In the event the decision is made to launch a peacekeeping operation, any presence of military or other personnel of the aggressor state in the territory of Ukraine disguised as peacekeepers would be out of the question, as it would contradict the basic principles of UN peacekeeping activities. Equally out of the question would be any need to seek approval for launching the peacekeeping operation by the illegal military formations operating in the territory of certain parts of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions backed by support, funding, and inventory and logistics management provided by the Russian Federation. (…)
President in the UN General Assembly: There is no room for the aggressor’s representatives in the UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas (20.09.2017)
President Petro Poroshenko emphasizes that a robust UN peacekeeping operation is the only efficient decision for de-escalation, protection of the people of Ukraine and approaching the political settlement of the situation in Donbas. It was stated by the President during his speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.
The Head of State reminded that "recent hybrid "peacekeeping proposals” of Moscow are another example of true ambitions of Russia that wants to legalize its puppets and freeze the conflict forever”.
"We will commend any proposal that will bring peace to our country. We are convinced that a robust UN peacekeeping operation is the only efficient decision for de-escalation, protection of the people of Ukraine and bringing us closer to the political settlement,” Petro Poroshenko said.
That is why the peacekeepers’ mandate must cover the entire occupied territory, including the Ukraine-Russia state border.
"This is a mandatory condition. As long as the border is used as a key track for the supply of weaponry and personnel to Donbas, there will be no peace in my country,” the Head of State emphasized.
He noted that the mission must be based on the key principles of the UN peacekeeping endeavor, including the impartiality of peacekeepers.
"There is no room for the aggressor’s representatives in such a mission. They cannot be part of it by definition,” the President said and emphasized that any abuses of UN peacekeeping tools to secure the profits of aggression are unacceptable.
"If we have an opportunity to bring peace to the heart of Europe, we must determine the right parameters for that,” Petro Poroshenko noted.
The President stressed that a robust international presence may also help to curb terrorism in the territories affected by the conflict. He noted that the terrorist component of the hybrid war of Russia against Ukraine is clear and has become a reality of daily life in Donbas.
Deutschland
Erklärungen des Sprechers des Auswärtigen Amts in der Bundespressekonferenz vom 06.09.2017
Schäfer: Ich kann für den Außenminister hinzufügen – das hat Frau Demmer ja für die Bundesregierung gerade schon getan –, dass es nach mehrjährigen Gesprächen, Verhandlungen und Forderungen von ukrainischer Seite jetzt immerhin ganz grundsätzlich ein Schritt ist, dass eine Blauhelmmission im Osten der Ukraine helfen kann, die von Moskau und von Kiew, also von den Konfliktparteien, gewünscht wird. Die Russen haben jetzt gerade Nägel mit Köpfen gemacht, indem sie einen ersten Resolutionsentwurf dem Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen vorgelegt haben. Warum das nun gerade jetzt und in dieser Weise passiert, darüber mag man spekulieren. Dafür wird der russische Präsident – oder die russische Regierung – vielleicht seine Gründe haben.
(…) Einer der Punkte ist das Einsatzgebiet, von dem Sie gesprochen haben. Es stimmt: Die Russen wollen nach dem Resolutionsentwurf nur die Kontaktlinie absichern. Gleichzeitig ist es eindeutig so, dass die Belästigungen und Behinderungen der zivilen, unbewaffneten Beobachtermission SMM der OSZE nicht nur an der Kontaktlinie stattfinden, sondern auch auf dem Territorium, das de facto von den Separatisten beherrscht wird.
(…) Auch die Beteiligung der Separatisten, die der russische Resolutionsentwurf vorsieht, ist für die Ukraine ein absolutes No-Go, im Übrigen auch für die Vereinten Nationen. Mir wäre kein einziger Fall einer Blauhelmmission bekannt, bei der Rebellen, die die staatliche Souveränität eines Staates infrage stellen, ein Mitspracherecht dafür bekommen würden, in welcher Weise Blauhelme in einen Einsatz gehen könnten.
(…) Zusatzfrage: Herr Schäfer, betrachten Sie die Entsendung der Blauhelme an die Kontaktlinie nicht als eine Art Alibi? Das würde ja dann bedeuten, dass dieser Teil der Ukraine für immer verloren ist. Dann würde der Konflikt quasi so internationalisiert, dass der Osten der Ukraine praktisch für immer weg ist.
Schäfer: (…) Aber jedenfalls können Sie gewiss sein, dass unser Interesse sicher nicht darin besteht, aus dem Konflikt in der Ukraine einen "frozen conflict", einen eingefrorenen Konflikt, zu machen, wie es den anderswo in der ehemaligen Sowjetunion, etwa in Georgien oder in Transnistrien, gibt. Unser Ziel bleibt vielmehr, so schnell wie das nur irgend geht, die Vereinbarungen von Minsk umzusetzen. (…) Wir werden, soweit es an uns liegt, alles daransetzen zu verhindern, dass genau das, was Sie oder vielleicht andere befürchten, nicht eintritt, weil wir kein Interesse daran haben, einen solchen Konflikt zu verewigen oder gar den Separatisten die Gelegenheit zu geben, ein Mitspracherecht für etwas zu bekommen, was aus unserer Sicht völlig unangemessen wäre.
Erklärungen des Sprechers des Auswärtigen Amts in der Bundespressekonferenz vom 18.09.2017
(…) Zur Ukraine: In dem Konflikt in der Ostukraine gibt es Bewegung, und zwar durch den Vorschlag des russischen Präsidenten, einer Blauhelmmission der Vereinten Nationen jedenfalls nicht abgeneigt zu sein. Ich halte es auch da für unwahrscheinlich, dass es bereits in dieser Woche zu konkreten Verhandlungen im Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen oder gar zu einer Abstimmung kommen kann. Dazu ist einfach noch viel zu unklar, was die Parameter einer solchen Sicherheitsratsresolution sein können. Wir begrüßen jedenfalls, dass sowohl die Ukraine, die das ja schon seit Jahren vorschlägt, als jetzt auch Russland einen Schritt auf eine solche Mission zugegangen sind. Da schwirren jetzt eine Menge Vorschläge im Raum, und ich bin ganz sicher, Herr Remme, dass der Außenminister in New York unter anderem in Gesprächen mit dem russischen und dem ukrainischen Außenminister, aber auch in Gesprächen in größerem Format die Gelegenheit nutzen wird, unsere Position gemeinsam mit Frankreich einzubringen und vielleicht einen Beitrag dazu zu leisten, dass von den Vereinten Nationen in absehbarer Zeit etwas beschlossen werden kann, was tatsächlich sicherstellt, dass der Waffenstillstand hält und dass die Vereinbarung von Minsk umgesetzt werden kann. (…)
