1ST LEAD Russia accuses West of derailing Ukraine peace process By Nikolaus …
Moscow/Brussels (dpa) – Russia on Thursday accused the West of
jeopardizing the peace process in Ukraine by sending military
instructors and encouraging Kyiv to withhold political autonomy for
the separatist-held eastern districts.
President Vladimir Putin‘s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the
presence of foreign military instructors “does not strengthen trust
or defuse tensions in the conflict zone,” Russian news agencies
reported.
The Defence Ministry in London confirmed Thursday that 35 British
servicemen had begun training Ukrainian troops in the southern city
of Mykolaiv.
Some of the soldiers will deliver medical training to Ukrainian
soldiers in lifesaving medical skills for assistance in combat, the
British army said on its Facebook page.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had earlier said the United
States was to train 780 Ukrainian troops. US Vice President Joe Biden
told him in a telephone call that the training will happen “in the
nearest time,” according to a statement released by Poroshenko‘s
office.
Biden did not say where the training will take place.
US Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges said earlier this month that
plans to train Ukrainian troops had been put on hold, “to give the
ceasefire a chance.”
Biden also welcomed amendments passed by the parliament in Kyiv this
week on giving autonomy to the separatist-held districts in eastern
Ukraine, the White House said.
Russia and the separatists have condemned the amendments, which
postpone the autonomy status until after the holding of local
elections under Ukrainian law.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Biden had
welcomed a move that undermines the Minsk peace agreements. “This
only leaves the conclusion that Washington is inciting Kyiv to seek a
military solution,” Lavrov said in Moscow.
Poroshenko‘s office said that the President agreed during a telephone
call with Angela Merkel that the foreign ministers of Ukraine,
Russia, France and Germany should meet to discuss the issue. No time
for the meeting was given.
In Brussels, meanwhile, EU leaders were expected to debate the crisis
in Ukraine and mull the way forward for economic sanctions imposed on
Russia.
The measures, which aim to hamper Russian imports and Russian banks‘
access to European capital markets, will begin to lapse in July,
unless a decision is taken to extend them.
Several leaders expressed support for a proposal by Merkel and French
President Francois Hollande to keep the sanctions in place until the
Minsk accord is fully implemented.
This would effectively mean extending the measures until the end of
the year – the deadline set to meet the terms of the ceasefire deal,
which notably include granting Kyiv renewed control of the border
between Russia and eastern Ukraine.
“Obviously, any kind of decision will have to be taken only on the
basis of the situation on the ground … and only linked to the
implementation of the Minsk agreement in full,” EU foreign policy
chief Federica Mogherini said ahead of the talks.
Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas was one of a handful calling for
an immediate extension of sanctions, but others made clear that the
formal decision could come at a later date.
“What matters is that Minsk is implemented,” Finnish Prime Minister
Alexander Stubb said at a Conservative pre-summit meeting, adding
that he expects the sanctions question to be “strongly linked” to the
ceasefire deal.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who was also in Brussels,
called on EU leaders to consider “how to scale up sanctions in case
Russia is not eager to implement the Minsk deal.”
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite also suggested “deepening”
sanctions, arguing that the situation has not improved. She pointed
out that Russia recently deployed missiles in its Baltic exclave of
Kaliningrad, “which can reach even Berlin.”
Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz downplayed the stationing of
Iskander missiles, saying it was merely a gesture ahead of the
Brussels summit.
The EU leaders were also due Thursday to discuss how best to respond
to a Russian “concerted, systematic and sophisticated” campaign of
misinformation, an EU diplomat said. They are expected to task the
bloc‘s diplomatic service with looking into ways of supporting media
freedom.