Luxembourg, 23/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 23 June, the EU foreign affairs ministers called on Russia to support the peace plan proposed by Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko. In their opinion, this plan offers a major opportunity for de-escalation. The Council called on all the parties to accept and honour a ceasefire immediately so as to stabilise the security situation, achieve true de-escalation, and create the necessary conditions for the peace plan to be implemented.
For France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, “this week must be dedicated to translating the de-escalation into concrete terms”. “There is no doubt that this is a crucial week for Ukraine”, said Germany's Foreign Minister Franck-Walter Steinmeier. “President Poroshenko's peace plan and the ceasefire are not only courageous, they also represent a decisive stage” with a view to a resolution to the crisis, he added. This plan “is a constructive step forwards that deserves all our support”, said Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. The Ukrainian minister, Pavlo Klimkin, who presented the peace plan, believed that de-escalation was now “really necessary”. “We are fully committed to the peace plan. We are doing our best to put this plan in place. We need Russia on board”, he added. He stated that the EU should maintain pressure on all those able to change the situation, and that it was necessary to keep all the possible options on the table.
The ministers warned that additional measures could be taken if need be. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said that Russia's President Vladimir Putin must not doubt that the EU is ready to take new measures against Russia. He also said that by Friday it should be possible to see how Russia is responding to Poroshenko's peace plan. Ukraine will again be on the agenda of the European Council on 27 June. The EU-Ukraine association agreement will be signed on the sidelines of this Council.
The EU foreign affairs ministers also called on the parties to do everything possible to protect civilians and to let humanitarian organisations play their role in this.
EU implements sanctions against products from Crimea. Once again condemning Russia's “illegal” annexation of Crimea, the EU ministers decided to ban the import of products from Crimea or Sebastopol - with the exception of those that have received a certificate of origin from the Ukrainian government. They also decided to ban the direct or indirect supply of financial services and insurance linked to the import of this merchandise. These measures will enter into force on 25 June. “The Council calls on the EEAS and the Commission to continue to monitor the situation and to present additional measures if necessary”, the Council states in its press release.
Ministers approve the concept relating to CSDP mission. The Council also approved the concept relating to a mission led as part of the EU's common security and defence policy (CSDP). This mission is to help Ukraine reform its civil security sector, police and rule of law. With an initial mandate of two years, it will provide strategic advice with a view to developing sustainable security services that are responsible and effective and that contribute to strengthening the rule of law, the Council states in a press release. It says that this decision marks the start of the operational planning and the launch of other preparations with a view to implementing the mission rapidly. Legal acts will be required for the formal constitution of the mission and the launch of its operations, the Council adds (our translation throughout). (CG)