L-Imblokk ġol-Ukrajna: Ta’ min hu t-tort?

L-Ambaxxatur Russu gћal Malta, s-Sur Vladimir Malygin (Illum, Il-Ħadd 27 ta’ Marzu 2016)

Sena ilu, fit-12 ta` Frar, 2015 il-qbil paċifiku fil-kriżi ġol-Ukrajna kien ta` suċċess bis-saћћa tal-iffirmar tal-Pakett ta` miżuri, magћruf ukoll bћala l-Ftehim ta` Minsk. Dan id-dokument kien aktar tard approvat mir-reżoluzzjoni 2202 tal-Kunsill tas-Sigurtà tal-UN, li gћamel l-istess arranġament aktar validu.

Il- qbil ta` Minsk jibqa` sal-lum l-unika bażi ta` proċess paċifiku. Il-valur prinċipali tiegћu huwa fil-fatt li l-qbil sar b’ involvement tal-partijiet Ukreni rigward il- kunflitt fix-Xlokk ( Donbass) stess.

Grazzi gћal dan id-dokument, l-ostilita` naqset u gћal xi żmien l-armata Ukrena rtirat l-armamenti tagћha minn xi bliet prinċipali bћal Donbass, u b’hekk naqas in-numru ta` vittmi f’ din l-operazzjoni punittiva. Il-parametri speċifiċi ġew imwaqqfa bћala arranġament politiku li gћamilha possibli li jiġu difiżi d-drittijiet tar-residenti ta` Donbass. Sekwenza ċara tal-azzjonijiet ġiet determinata biex tinormalizza s-sitwazzjoni u tiżgura ћajja paċifika u ta` rikonċiljazzjoni fis-soċjeta.

Madankollu, aktar progress ġie blokkat.

Fil-fatt, jidher li l-gvern Ukren qed iżomm lura l-implementazzjoni tal-Pakett ta` miżuri, filwaqt li qed isejjaћ il-problemi kollha bћala fatturi esterni. Il-laqgћa ministerjali li saret riċenti f’ format ‘Normandy’ ġo Pariġi fit-3 ta` Marzu wriet gћal darba oћra dan biċ-ċar.

Sadanittant, is-sitwazzjoni fl-art hija waћda `l bogћod minn stabbli.

Ilum il-forżi Ukreni qegћdin regolarment jisparaw fuq artijiet u postijiet residenżjali viċin il-linja ta` kuntatt, spiss tintuża ammunizzjoni projbita (“cluster bombs” eċċ) u qed jikkawżaw imwiet u diżgrazzji fuq nies ċivili. Sorżi varji jirċivu rapporti allarmanti fuq ċaqliq ta` tagћmir militari tal-armata Ukrena, u fuq riżervi friski u tagћmir ġdid fiż-żona ta` kunflitt.

F’dawn iċ-ċirkostanzi, xi wћud mill- Punent jippruvaw jitfgћu r-responsabbilta` ta` dan l-imblokk ġol-Ukrajna fuq Moska. Kif jistgћu jitfgћu d-domanda fuq ir-Russja biex tieћu azzjoni fuq il-fatt x’gћandu jsir ġo Kiev?

Min jaqra l-Pakett ta` miżuri jista’ jinduna biċ-ċar li l-azzjonijiet essenzjali li gћandhom jittieћdu gћall-implikazzjonijiet tagћhom hija r-risponsabbilta` tal-awtoritajiet kurrenti ta’ Kiev, li s`issa kienu selettivi ћafna fl-obbligazzjonijiet tagћhom.

L-emendi fil-kostituzzjoni adottati mill-Gvern Ukren huma irrelevanti gћall-ftehim ta’ Minsk. Paragrafu 11 jistipula biċ-ċar li l-kostituzzjoni ġdida kienet se tibda sseħħ sa tmiem l-2015 “fejn tiġi provduta deċentralizazzjoni bћala element principali”. Bћalissa qegћdin fl- 2016, u l-affarijiet gћadhom l-istess.

Il-liġi fuq l-istatus speċjali ta` Donbass (limitata gћal tliet snin biss) ġiet adottata, imma l-implimentazzjoni tagћha tiddependi mill-kundizzjonijiet li mhumiex inklużi fil-Pakett ta` miżuri, fejn hemm dikjarat li l-leġiżlatura gћandha tkun permanenti (Paragrafu 11).

Il-liġi tal-amnestija (Paragrafu 5) ġiet abozzata imma gћadha mhijiex effettiva. Il-miżura ta’ skambju ta’ priġunieri u persuni miżmuma gћadha ma ġietx affetwata. Fil-qasam umanitarju qegћdin naraw imblokk kontinwu ta’ Donbass li ma qed juri xejn ћlief xewqa ta’ Kiev li taћqar in-nies tar-reġjun.

Qed jintqal ћafna fuq il-bżonn li jerga’ jkun hemm kontroll fuq il-fruntiera gћall-awtoritajiet Ukreni. Madankollu, dan jista’ jseћћ biss jekk riformi politiċi stipulati fil- ftehim ta’ Minsk jiġu mћarsa “fuq konsultazzjoni ma’ u fuq il-ftehim” mir-rappreżentanti ta’ Donbass (Paragrafu 9). Minkejja passi kostruttivi min-naћa tax-Xlokk, Kiev, gћall-kuntrarju tal-gћan tal-Pakett ta’ mizuri, tibqa’ tirrifjuta djalogu dirett mar-rappreżentattivi.

Fattur ieћor li qed iżomm lura l-implementazzjoni tal-ftehim ta’ Minsk huwa l-influwenza qawwija u l-persistenza tal-estrem lemini u elementi nazzjonali fuq l-istrutturi ta’ poter fl-Ukrajna.

Kien hemm konfronti numerużi rrekordjati bejn dawn ir-radikali u t-truppi Ukreni, kif ukoll diversi każijiet ta’ qtil, stupru, serq u ћtif ta’ persuni, kemm viċin il-linji ta’ kuntatt kif ukoll f’partijiet oћra ġo Donbass u l-bqija tal-Ukrajna. Kienu gћalhekk l-imsemmijja attivisti li kellhom rwol importanti fl-organizazzjoni tal-imblokk umanitarju u ekonomiku f’Donbass, li ġab introjtu mis-serq ta’ flus gћal oġġetti u biex nies jaqsmu l-linji ta’ kuntatt.

Ir-responsabbilta’ gћadha trid tiġi merfuha gћall-qtil ta’ dimostranti u gћal aktar ksur ta’ drittijiet umani waqt l-avvenimenti ta’ Maidan ġo Kiev bejn Novembru 2013 u Frar 2014 . Persuna li xi ftit ilu stqarret mal-medja li kienet involuta fi qtil ta’ xi pulizija f’dak iż-żmien, ma ġietx imћarrka u qiegћda libera tiġri barra. Bl-istess mod, ma kien hemm l-ebda progress fuq li tittieћed responsabbilta’ gћall-imwiet ta’ 48 persuna waqt l-avvenimenti traġiċi tat-2 ta’ Mejju 2014 ġo Odessa u l-proċeduri kriminali meћuda ma jidhrux li huma imparzjali.

Aћna nemmnu li m’hemmx alternattiva gћall-Pakett ta’ mizuri ta’ Minsk, li hija l-fondazzjoni ta’ proċess ta’ paċi permezz ta’ djalogu dirett bejn il-partijiet fil-kunflitt ġol-Ukrajna. Dan il-ftehim jipprovdi qafas gћall soluzzjoni sostenibbli ġo din il-kriżi, li jiddefinixxi l-prinċipji li jżomm ir-reġjuni ta’ Donetsk u Lugansk bћala parti mill-Ukrajna b’garanziji konstituzzjonali u leġiżlattiva li jiżguraw id-drittijiet taċ-ċittadini ta’ Donbass.

Kull attentat li jiskredita il-Pakett ta’ mizuri, biex ikissru jew ibiddlu l-format ta’ negozjati u l-mekkaniżmu li jћares dan l-arranġament iwassal gћal aktar instabbilita` tas-sitwazzjoni, li mhijiex fl-interess tan-nies tal-Ukrajna u n-nies tal- pajjiżi ġirien.

Ir-Russja flimkien ma’ pajjiżi internazzjonali msieћba jibqgћu fi djalogu kontinwu biex toqgћod il-kriżi ġol-Ukrajna.

             Deadlock in Ukraine: Who’s to blame?

by Ambassador of Russia to Malta Mr. Vladimir Malygin (Illum, Sunday 27 March 2016)

A year ago, considerable success towards a peaceful settlement of the crisis in Ukraine was achieved in Minsk with the signing of the Package of Measures, commonly known as the Minsk agreements, on February 12, 2015. This document was later approved by UN Security Council resolution 2202, which made it binding.

To this day the Minsk agreements remain the sole basis for a peace process. Their main value lies in the fact that they were agreed upon with the involvement of the Ukrainian parties to the conflict in the South East (Donbass) themselves.

Thanks to this document, active hostilities ceased and for a period of time heavy artillery belonging to the Ukrainian army was successfully withdrawn from major towns in Donbass, considerably reducing the number of victims of the punitive operation. The specific parameters took shape for a political settlement that would make it possible to defend the rights and interests of Donbass residents. A clear sequence of actions was determined for normalising the situation and ensuring a return to peaceful life and reconciliation within society.

Further progress, however, has been blocked.

In fact, it seems that the Ukrainian government is holding the implementation of the Package of Measures hostage, while trying to put all the problems down to some “external factors”. The recent Normandy format ministerial meeting in Paris on March 3 clearly demonstrated this once again.

Meanwhile, the situation on the ground is very far from being stable.

Today, the Ukrainian forces are regularly shelling residential areas near the line of contact, often with the use of prohibited ammunition (cluster bombs, etc.), causing casualties among civilians. Alarming reports continue to be received from various sources about large movements of military equipment to the rear of the Ukrainian army and transfers of fresh reserves and new equipment to the conflict zone.

In these circumstances some in the West are trying to shift all the responsibility for the deadlock in the Ukraine crisis on Moscow. But how can demands be made on Russia to do what in fact must be done in line with the decisions of those in Kiev?

It becomes clear to anyone who reads the Package of Measures that all essential actions that need to be taken with regard to its implementation is the responsibility of the current Kiev authorities, which have been very selective as far as their obligations are concerned.

Amendments to the constitution, adopted by the Ukrainian government, are irrelevant to the Minsk agreements. Paragraph 11 clearly stipulates that a new constitution was to enter into force by the end of 2015 “providing for decentralisation as a key element”. We are well into 2016 now and the things have not budged an inch.

The law on the special status of Donbass (limited to only three years) has been adopted, but its enactment depends on conditions that are not provided for in the Package of Measures, which clearly states that such legislation must be “permanent” (Paragraph 11).

The amnesty law (Paragraph 5) has been drafted but never enacted. The all-for-all exchange of prisoners and detainees (Paragraph 6) has not taken place. In the humanitarian field, we are witnessing the continued blockade of Donbass, which demonstrates nothing but Kiev’s true desire to harm the people of the region.

A lot is being said about the need to return control over the border to the Ukrainian authorities. However, this can only be done after all political reforms stipulated in the Minsk agreements are carried out “in consultation with and upon agreement” by representatives of Donbass (Paragraph 9). Despite numerous constructive steps on the part of the South East, Kiev still refuses direct dialogue with its representatives, contrary to the main focus of the Package of Measures.

Another very serious factor hindering the implementation of the Minsk agreements is the persisting and powerful influence of far-right nationalist elements on the power structures in Ukraine.

There were numerous recorded military clashes between these radicals and regular Ukrainian troops, as well as multiple cases of murder, rape, looting, robbery, and kidnapping, both near the line of contact, and in other places in Donbass and the rest of Ukraine. The so-called activists have played a key role in organising the humanitarian and economic blockade of Donbass, which provides them with income from extorting money for goods and people crossing the contact line.

Accountability has yet to be achieved for the killing of protesters and other human rights violations committed during the Maidan events in Kiev between November 2013 and February 2014. A person who has recently confessed to the media that he was behind several murders of policemen at the time is not being prosecuted and is walking free. Similarly, there has been no progress in ensuring accountability for the deaths of 48 people during the tragic events of 2 May 2014 in Odessa, and criminal proceedings so far do not seem impartial.

We believe that there is no alternative to the Minsk Package of Measures, which is the foundation of the peace process via a direct dialogue between the parties to the Ukraine conflict. It provides a framework for a sustainable solution to the crisis, defines the principles of conserving the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as part of Ukraine with constitutional and legislative guarantees ensuring the rights of the people of Donbass.

Any attempts to discredit the Package of Measures, to destroy or alter the format of negotiations and the oversight mechanism will lead to the further destabilisation of the situation, which is not in the interests of either the Ukrainian people or its neighbours.

Russia and its international partners will continue an active dialogue on ways to settle the crisis in Ukraine.