Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to a ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine by the end of 2019
The President of Russia – Vladimir Putin and the President of Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelensky have today, i.e., December 10, 2019, agreed to a ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine by the end of 2019.
It is to be noted that Ukrainian Government Forces and Russian backed rebels have been engaged in war since 2014, costing more than 13,000 lives.
The decision was made after the 2 leaders were engaged in a 9-hour meeting at Elysée Palace, the official residence of President of France in Paris. The meeting was held on the sidelines of 4-nation Summit in the so-called Normandy Format, in which Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany are seeking a solution to the Ukrainian conflict following Moscow’s annexation.
The peace talks were initiated by the President of France – Emmanuel Macron and the Chancellor of Germany – Angela Merkel.
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War is a series of military actions that started in February 2014 in the Crimean Peninsula, the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine, and related activities in other locations.
During the Euromaidan protest and the fall of then then President of Ukraine – Viktor Yanukovych, Russian soldiers without insignias took control of strategic positions and infrastructure within the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. Russia then annexed Crimea after a referendum in which population of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea voted to join the Russian Federation. In April 2014, demonstrations by pro-Russian groups in the Donbass area of Ukraine escalated into an armed conflict between the Ukrainian Government and the Russia-backed separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. In August 2014, Russian military vehicles crossed the border in several locations of Donetsk Oblast.
The majority of members of the international community and organizations such as Amnesty International have condemned Russia for its actions in post-revolutionary Ukraine, accusing it of breaking international law and violating Ukrainian sovereignty.
What was Euromaidan?
Euromaidan was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of November 21, 2013 with public protests in in Kiev. The protests were sparked by the Ukrainian Government’s decision to suspend the signing of an association agreement with the European Union (EU), instead choosing closer ties to Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. The protests led to the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.
As a result of these events, an agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine was signed on February 21, 2014 by Viktor Yanukovych and the leaders of the parliamentary opposition (Vitaly Klitschko, Arseny Yatsenyuk, Oleh Tyahnybok).
Shortly after the agreement was signed, Yanukovych and other high Government officials fled the country. Protesters gained control of the presidential administration and Yanukovych’s private estate.
What has been agreed?
The two sides have agreed to disengage military forces in 3 additional regions of Ukraine by the end of March 2020. The talks will be held again after completion of 4 months to discuss the progress. The two nations will also conduct a prisoner exchange programme.
The issue of Russian gas exports via pipelines through Ukraine has been unblocked after a dispute about transit tariffs, and an agreement would now be worked out. Putin has also called for a change in Ukraine’s Constitution to give special status to the Donbas region, which is held by the rebels.
However, the matters on withdrawal of Russia-back troops and elections in areas of Ukraine held by separatist rebels, remained unresolved during the meeting.
Expressing disappointment over the developments, Zelensky said to media, “Many questions were tackled, and my counterparts have said it is a very good result for a first meeting. But I will be honest – it is very little, I wanted to resolve a larger number of problems.”
Regarding withdrawal of troops, Zelensky said, “The President of the Russian Federation and I have a different view of the transfer of the border.”
Talking to media, Putin said, “It’s good, I’m pleased.”
Talking about the meeting, Emmanuel Macron said, “We didn’t find the miracle solution, but we have advanced on it.”
“I say openly that we have lots of work to do,” remarked Angela Markel.
What led to the talks?
Zelensky, a former comic actor, was elected president of Ukraine in a landslide victory in April 2019, following a campaign built around bringing peace to Eastern Ukraine. Since then, he has been focussing on restoring peace in the region.
To initiate peace talks, Zelensky even agreed to some conditions of Russia which included pulling back of Ukrainian troops in the Eastern towns of Stanytsia Luhansk, Petrivske, and Zolote.
