“The reaction in Kiev alerted”: Russia commented on Ukraine’s approval of Steinmeier’s formula

The Kremlin welcomed the approval by Ukraine of the Steinmeier formula.

“The very confirmation of Steinmeier’s formula, which, incidentally, was accepted by all the participants of the Norman four, including Ukraine, actually several years ago, is a positive fact and, of course, is an important step on the road to implementing the agreements that were reached earlier,” said a spokesman for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov expressed hope that the process of implementing the Minsk agreements will continue, as this is the only way to resolve the conflict in southeastern Ukraine. Clarity around the issue of holding a summit in the Norman format (Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany) will appear in the near future, he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the approval of the formula, answering the question of a journalist during a meeting of the Valdai international discussion club.

“Yesterday in Minsk, all members of the Contact Group, including Donetsk and Lugansk, signed Steinmeier’s formula, however, they did it on separate sheets. Obviously, someone considers it below his dignity to put his signature next to the signatures of other participants, although under the Minsk agreements all signatures are on the same sheet, ”Lavrov emphasized.

At the same time, the minister drew attention to the actions of the Ukrainian opposition. So, the former president of the country and the head of the European Justice party Petro Poroshenko, the chairman of the Fatherland’s Yulia Tymoshenko and the leader of the Voice Svyatoslav Vakarchuk made statements that signing the formula “threatens the security” of Ukraine.

“The subsequent reaction in Kiev, of course, alerted me: the demands of Poroshenko, the party of Yulia Tymoshenko, not to mention Vakarchuk and other radical political forces:“ Explain why you are betraying the Ukrainian people. ” This formula is soon known as four years, ”Lavrov recalled.

Recall that in Kiev, the radicals on Wednesday went to a spontaneous protest. In the hands of the nationalists were posters with the slogans "No surrender!"

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According to Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, radicals are few in number and do not enjoy the great support of the population, who already supported Zelensky in the elections, and not Poroshenko’s “war president. However, the expert drew attention to the fact that the opposition will prevail in the information environment.

“Politicians who oppose Zelensky (Poroshenko and his allies) have quite serious information resources, of course, they can and will strive to use the signing of the Steinmeier formula and the next steps of the Ukrainian authorities in the framework of the campaign, which will accuse the Ukrainian authorities of losing ground,” he said he is talking to RT.

In turn, political scientist, economist Alexander Dudchak noted that the Zelensky administration can use the radicals for their own purposes.

“The current government has every opportunity to complete these speeches, to deprive them of funding or to influence those who sponsor them. But they are also kept in reserve, so that in case of what it would be possible to depict - that there are disagreements, use them to simulate public opinion and pressure on the authorities, ”the expert concluded in an interview with RT.

• President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky
• Reuters
• © Valentyn Ogirenko

“There is no text, not even a concept”

Recall that the formula provides for the procedure for granting special status to Donbass and holding local elections there. Initially, a corresponding idea was proposed in 2015 by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the then Foreign Minister of Germany.

According to this mechanism, it is assumed that Donbass will receive special status during the extraordinary elections, which must be held in accordance with Ukrainian legislation. If the OSCE / ODIHR recognizes this vote as fair and legitimate, the new status of the region will continue to operate on an ongoing basis.

Despite the fact that the Steinmeier formula was proposed four years ago, Ukraine approved its terms only on Tuesday October 1.

“We responded to a letter from Mr. (Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman Martin. - RT ) Saydik that we are agreeing on the text of the Steinmeier formula. Steinmeier’s formula should be implemented in the new law on special status, which does not exist yet, ”said President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.

He stressed that the relevant legislative act will be adopted before the end of this year after discussion with the public. Moreover, the wording of the document, according to Zelensky, will not allow talking about the "surrender" of Ukraine.

The response to the letter of Saydik, signed by the representative of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group for the Settlement in the Donbass, Leonid Kuchma, was published on Facebook by former president’s press secretary Daria Olifer.

However, now the pro-presidential party “Servant of the People” has neither the text of the new law, nor even its conception, said deputy David Arahamia, who represents this political force.

“Now there is neither a text, nor even a concept for a new law,” he said on the 112 Ukraine television channel.

“Must be agreed with us”

Sergei Lavrov previously recalled that, according to the Minsk agreements, Ukraine should not only carry out “decentralization for all regions”, but coordinate what concerns the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics with their leadership.

“This part of the Donbass must be heard. Not just heard, her position should be taken into account, ”the minister emphasized.

The head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, and the leader of the LPR, Leonid Pasechnik, in turn, expressed the view that the Steinmeier formula guarantees that the territories in which the republics of Donbass are located have a special status and, therefore, the right to “independently determine their fate”.

Pushilin and Pasechnik also called on President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky “not to dictate conditions.”

“Any changes to the law on special status must be agreed with us. Otherwise, we will consider them a direct and flagrant violation of the Minsk agreements, and they will be legally insignificant for us, ”the leaders said in a joint statement.

As the heads of the DPR and LPR explained, in the current law adopted under President Poroshenko there are “unacceptable reservations” that need to be removed, and provisions “that cannot be changed in any case.”

Pushilin and Pasechnik warned Zelensky against "rash actions", calling him for dialogue instead of "rash and meaningless unilateral statements."

A similar opinion is shared by the chairman of the Federation Council Commission on Information Policy Alexey Pushkov. In his Twitter, he noted that Kiev may not send the new law to the approval of the Norman four, thus trying to evade its obligations under the Steinmeier formula.

“Zelensky is now trying to disavow her, acting in the spirit of Poroshenko. He wants to pass a “new law on special status.” But neither Donbass nor Russia will recognize him. Any changes should be coordinated in the contact group and in the Norman four, ”wrote Pushkov.

Having signed the "Steinmeier formula", Zelensky is now trying to disavow it, acting in the spirit of Poroshenko. He wants to pass a “new law on special status.” But neither Donbass nor Russia will recognize him. Any changes should be agreed in the contact group and in the “Norman 4-ke”.

Nevertheless, the fact of consent to the Steinmeier formula is a great achievement in resolving the conflict in the east of Ukraine, said Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University.

“This is a serious step forward, evidence that the only obstacle to the onset of peace is the position of Kiev. But real steps must follow this declaration, ”he told RT.

“They began to think of ways to retreat”

The approval of Steinmeier's formula by Kiev was welcomed by international mediators. Thus, the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, called such a move "long-awaited progress", noting that this makes a summit in the Norman format possible.

A similar point of view is shared by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We positively assess the coordination by the contact group of the mechanism for introducing the special status of Donbass and the separation of forces and assets in these areas. We hope this will create an appropriate atmosphere for the further implementation of the Minsk agreements, ”wrote Maria Zakharova, official spokesman for the foreign ministry.

However, it is worth noting that the formula was not legally signed by the Ukrainian side. The head of the Verkhovna Rada committee on foreign policy and inter-parliamentary cooperation, the deputy of the “Servants of the People” Bogdan Yaremenko explained that agreements had been reached, which would be further implemented with the help of relevant laws.

“Everything else is a subject for negotiations, the results of which will be implemented not by amendments to the Constitution, but by the laws of Ukraine, which the Verkhovna Rada adopts,” Yaremenko wrote on Facebook.

The head of the political council, the second largest in the number of deputies of the party “Opposition Platform - For Life,” Victor Medvedchuk, in response to this, recalled the need to discuss such changes with the DPR and LPR.

"He said that the law on elections will be adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in accordance with the constitution, in this part he is absolutely right, but he forgot to say that, according to the Minsk agreements, the conditions for holding elections, the modality of elections are agreed with representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk," noted Medvedchuk.

Changes to the Constitution of Ukraine are also provided for by the Minsk agreements, said political analyst, economist Alexander Dudchak, in turn. In his opinion, Yaremenko’s words can be evaluated as a search for ways of retreat.

“They have already begun to come up with escape routes. - said Dudchak RT. - Zelensky wants to hold a meeting in the Norman format first. What she will give him, and how he will look into the eyes of Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron (German leaders of France. - RT ) is another question. But the approval of the Steinmeier formula was one of the conditions for holding the meeting in the Norman format. This is probably why they say that, on the one hand, “we — yes, agree,” on the other — “we did not sign.” Attempts to bustle are in the spirit of the Ukrainian government. ”

Sergei Lavrov previously stated that Ukraine is attempting to revise the Minsk agreements and expressed the hope that Vladimir Zelensky will prevent this.

“Minsk agreements are now undergoing tests, they also want to revise them, for me this is obvious. But I hope that what President Zelensky said about his commitment to implementing the Minsk agreements is the position of the person who determines foreign policy and is the commander in chief of Ukraine, ”the Russian Foreign Minister emphasized.