Brussels, 08/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 8 May, the EU took note of the statements of Russia's President Vladimir Putin the previous day, including his call not to hold a referendum on the “declaration of independence” of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk (planned for 11 May - the call for which has since been rejected by the pro-Russians) and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the borders of Ukraine. Putin made his announcement during a meeting with the president of the OSCE, Didier Burkhalter.
“I take note of President Putin's recent statements signalling a willingness to de-escalate the situation, including his call to refrain from holding a referendum in the eastern part of Ukraine and the stated withdrawal of Russian troops from the borders of Ukraine”, said European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
According to Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, the EU has taken “good note” of Putin's statements, which it considers as “a step that can help de-escalate the situation”. Kocijancic stated that the EU was going to follow developments on the ground to see if Putin's words were followed by deeds. She added that the local referendums must not be held - “neither on 11 May nor at any later date”, that they do not have “democratic legitimacy” and that they “can only lead to further escalation”. She called on all parties to concentrate on implementing the Geneva agreement, stating that the end to the violence and provocative actions are “essential elements”.
Germany's Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank Walter Steinmeier welcomed Putin's “constructive tone”. In Steinmeier's view, “this is at least a sign of hope, on the basis of which we will have to continue our efforts”. “We are perhaps at a decisive moment (…). The situation is very critical, but there is still a chance that by diplomatic means we can manage to avoid further escalation of the violence and the total loss of control in the east of Ukraine”. (CG)