Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba spoke about the initiative to create a new format of negotiations on de-escalation in Donbass, consisting of five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Great Britain, China, Russia, USA, France), as well as Ukraine, Germany and Turkey.

Kuleba stated this at a briefing following the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers in Brussels, in which he took part.

“We believe that the most optimal format for conducting a discussion on de-escalation and the formation of new security guarantees is to hold a summit in the format of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Ukraine, Germany and Turkey,” the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

As the minister noted, this is the format that is suitable for discussing “what is happening along the borders of Ukraine,” the press service of the Foreign Ministry informs.

“The security of Ukraine is now the number one priority.

We use every, the slightest diplomatic opportunity to guarantee it,” he stressed, adding that he was heading from Brussels to Washington to continue diplomatic efforts “to contain Russia’s aggressive intentions” against Ukraine.

Kuleba also commented on the information regarding a possible summit of the presidents of Russia and the United States.

According to him, Ukraine welcomes any diplomatic efforts "aimed at preventing the development of the conflict."

Earlier in the day, Kuleba said that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken informed him about the initiative to hold talks between the Russian and American leaders.

“The Secretary of State assured me that, as before, no decision regarding Ukraine will be made behind Ukraine's back.

Ukraine and the United States will closely coordinate positions during the preparations for such a summit in order to synchronize our positions and make sure that Ukraine's interests will be taken into account, ”Kuleba said.

Recall that the initiative to hold a summit of permanent members of the UN Security Council with the participation of Ukraine, Germany and Turkey was made on February 19 by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during his speech at the Munich Security Conference.

  • President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky

  • AP

  • © Andrew Harnik

“I also propose in the coming weeks to convene a summit of the permanent members of the UN Security Council with the participation of Ukraine, Germany and Turkey in order to address security challenges in Europe.

And developments of new, effective security guarantees for Ukraine.

Guarantees today, as long as we are not a member of the Defense Alliance.

And in fact, we are in a gray zone - in a vacuum in the field of security, ”he said.

Aggravation of the situation

It is worth noting that Kiev proposed this initiative against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Donbass and continuing Western accusations against Moscow because of its alleged plans to “invade” Ukraine, which Russia has categorically denied more than once.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on February 21, the Ukrainian authorities twice carried out their military punitive operations in the Donbass.

“And, apparently, we are witnessing the aggravation of the situation for the third time.

All these years - I want to emphasize this - all these years the people who live in these territories have actually been mocked.

Constant shelling, blockade.

As you know, people living in territories close to the so-called front line were generally forced to move to basements - they live there themselves with their children, ”the Russian leader emphasized.

Putin also said that the current Kiev authorities are not going to implement the peace settlement plan - the Minsk "Package of Measures".

“Moreover, they have already publicly stated this many times - both at the highest state level, and at the level of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the level of the Secretary of the Security Council.

In general, it is clear to everyone: in reality, they are not going to do anything according to this Minsk “Package of Measures,” the President of Russia noted.

Putin also stressed that the purpose of the Security Council meeting is to determine "further steps", given the appeals of the leaders of the DPR and LPR to Russia with a request to recognize their sovereignty, and the State Duma resolution "on the same topic" - calling on the Russian president "to do this and recognize independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic".

On the same day, at the initiative of Zelensky, Kuleb officially addressed the member states of the UN Security Council with a request to immediately hold consultations in accordance with Article 6 of the Budapest Memorandum.

According to him, this is necessary in order to discuss "urgent actions aimed at de-escalation", as well as practical steps to ensure the security of Ukraine.

On President @ZelenskyyUa's initiative I officially requested UNSC member states to immediately hold consultations under article 6 of the Budapest memorandum to discuss urgent actions aimed at de-escalation, as well as practical steps to guarantee the security of Ukraine.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 21, 2022

Later, during an address to the Russians, Vladimir Putin said that he considered it necessary to “make a long overdue decision to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty” of the DPR and LPR.

After that, the Russian leader signed the corresponding decree of the Russian Federation on the recognition of these two republics, and also concluded an agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with the heads of the DPR and LPR.

"Adjust to the current agenda"

As Vladimir Olenchenko, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS, noted in an interview with RT, the Ukrainian authorities initiated a summit of permanent member states of the UN Security Council with the participation of Ukraine, Germany and Turkey in order to “simulate vigorous activity” to resolve the situation in Donbass.

“Now Kiev is offering the countries that approved the Minsk agreements to come up with something anew, but exactly what Kuleba and Zelensky will like,” the expert said.

Olenchenko also believes that Kiev's initiative on a new format of negotiations indicates "an unwillingness or inability to engage in politics."

“But the Kiev authorities have a desire to engage in propaganda and imitate political activity.

At the same time, Kiev wants the permanent members of the UN Security Council, together with Germany and Turkey, to focus on how the Ukrainian leadership to improve relations with the DPR and LPR, ”the analyst noted.

  • Donbass

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency

According to Olenchenko, this approach of the Ukrainian authorities suggests that by all their actions they have made it clear that they are de facto refusing to implement the Minsk agreements.

“This is another attempt to turn the negotiation process on Donbass into an endless process without a specific positive result.

At first, Kiev buried the Minsk agreements for a long time, and now it has begun to talk more actively about the new format.

And now let's assume that Kiev's initiative is suddenly accepted, and some decisions are worked out.

But in the end, this will not give anything, since there is no confidence in the readiness of the Ukrainian authorities to fulfill all this, and not to ignore their obligations, ”the expert said.

Olenchenko also explained why Kiev, in its initiative, decided to add Germany and Turkey to the five countries of permanent members of the UN Security Council.

“The Federal Republic of Germany appears there, probably because the country is one of the parties to the Normandy format, and Turkey, in connection with the fact that Ankara has several times expressed a desire to mediate between Moscow and Kiev.

But the Russian Federation is not a party to the conflict in Donbass,” the analyst said.

In turn, the deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, a member of the Civic Chamber of Russia Nikita Danyuk, in a commentary on RT, also expressed the opinion that Kiev's initiative to create a new format to resolve the situation in Donbass is "another attempt to blur the negotiation process" to resolve the situation.

Danyuk also explained what motivated Kiev's initiative to expand the negotiation format, including through the participation of Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany and Turkey.

“All these countries automatically play for Ukraine.

The same Ankara has repeatedly declared the ownership of the Crimea, calling it Ukrainian.

Germany, which is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council, was pointed out in order not to offend her, ”said Danyuk.

He believes that the statements of Kuleba and Zelensky about the security guarantees that Ukraine demands for itself were also made in order to disavow the Minsk agreements and finally “put an end to them.”  

“Kyiv is trying to adapt to the current agenda, when the Russian Federation demands guarantees of its own security from the United States and NATO.

It is difficult to say for sure what exactly the Kiev authorities mean by guarantees for Ukraine, but it could theoretically be access to nuclear weapons or the entry of NATO troops into Ukrainian territory.

However, all this is not feasible.

The West, led by the United States, has already outlined its position by evacuating its representatives from Ukraine,” the expert concluded.