Brussels, 04/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 3 March, European Council President Donald Tusk, France's President François Hollande, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, British and Italian Prime Minsters David Cameron and Matteo Renzi, and US President Barack Obama stated that they were ready to take out further measures as part of the Ukrainian crisis.
According to a press release from the European Council, the leaders agreed that there was “a close link between sanctions and the full implementation of the Minsk agreements” and that they would be “ready to decide on further sanctions, if the Minsk agreements are further violated” and also, according to the US White House, if “the Russian-backed separatists seek to gain new territory”. According to the US presidency, the leaders stated that the easing of current sanctions would be linked to full implementation of the agreements. The US moreover extended its sanctions by a year on 3 March.
The leaders also agreed to support full implementation of the September 2014 Minsk agreements and the arrangements agreed for implementing them of 12 February 2015. The White House stated that the leaders had condemned the attack on Debaltseve “by Russia and the separatists it backs” - an attack which immediately followed and violated the plan for implementing the agreements.
The leaders also want to support and strengthen the capacity of the OSCE for monitoring implementation of the Minsk agreements, and they underline the observers' need for full and unhindered access to the whole conflict zone. They called on all the parties to stop all military action, to cooperate with the OSCE (so that its observers might check the withdrawal of heavy weapons), and to complete the exchange of all prisoners.
In addition, the leaders are ready to continue supporting the reforms in Ukraine and the country's economy. According to the White House, the leaders hailed the vote of the Ukrainian parliament on an ambitious reform package.
Focusing on implementation. Ukraine was also on the discussion agenda in Brussels between Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Merkel stated that the main point of their discussion had been on implementation of the Minsk agreements. “We are focusing on the Minsk agreement”, she said, adding that the discussions centred on “how to get the ceasefire respected, how to stop the blood bath, how to silence the weapons and how stability can finally become a reality in East Ukraine”. In addition, she said, her discussions with Juncker had focused on strengthening the OSCE and the help that the Europeans can bring to the reforms in Ukraine. She said that should there be a glaring violation of the Minsk agreements, “sanctions remained an option to be explored, with a new series” of measures.
Elsewhere, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said on Wednesday 4 March that the EU was going to focus “in the coming days” on what could be done for implementation of the Minsk agreements. During a press conference she said that the assessment of the situation on the ground was “neither downright positive, nor downright negative”. “Things have calmed down in recent days, but violations of the ceasefire can still be seen and the withdrawal of heavy weapons is not complete”, she said. Mogherini added that strengthening the OSCE would be discussed “in a detailed way”, at the informal Council of Foreign Affairs on 6-7 March, and at the formal Council on 16 March. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)