Poroshenko's proposal for an EU peace mission in Ukraine: gently shelved
(BRUSSELS2 to Riga) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's proposal to see a European police mission (read: I want European police on the border with Russia, says Poroshenko. Chick?) was gently but firmly eluded by European officials present in Riga (Latvia), for the informal meeting of defense ministers. B2 interviewed several officials present. The answer is pretty clear, when you read between the lines.
The important thing is Minsk and the OSCE
Speaking on behalf of the High Representative of the EU (Federica Mogherini), Maciej Popowski, number 2 of the European Diplomatic Service, underlined, very diplomatically, that the " priority is to support the implementation of the Minsk agreement. We (= the EU) will provide the OSCE with armored vehicles and satellite imagery (= for intelligence), as well as what they will need. » Several Member States of the EU (and of the OSCE) should thus provide elements of observation. And to add “We already have European advisers in Ukraine to help rebuild police capacities (NB: the EUAM Ukraine mission). We need to know more about the Ukrainian request, we need a debate ».
When we sign an agreement, we do not foresee an alternative
A way of responding in the negative to the Ukrainian request but also of emphasizing that this is not the question today. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was clear. “The Minsk agreements provide for the OSCE to deploy 400 observers to ensure compliance " of these. " The position of the Minister of Defense is that there must be full respect for Minsk II. When we have signed such an agreement, when we are determined to fully respect this agreement, we do not foresee any alternatives ". And add " if requests exist, they must be made within the framework of these agreements”.
An EU mission, a sticking point
The Minsk agreements provide “ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons and political dialogue” explained to B2 a diplomat. “Now is not the time to add new elements (which may be a source of) disagreement. It's not on the agenda. »
Comment: by making this request for a European mission, Petro Poroshenko wanted to immediately put forward a fallback solution which could have been effectively under the table in the event of non-compliance with the Minsk agreement. For some diplomats, it is above all a way of masking what, at the military level, is a defeat that is as much tactical as strategic: the Ukrainian soldiers, almost surrounded, having had no other choice but to withdraw, leaving Debaltseve in the hands of Russian separatists. A "take" considered at European level as NATO, officially, as a formal violation of the ceasefire. But, in the purest "realpolitik", several observers point out that this settles a "point" of tension. Point of view almost shared on the side of NATO, where the deputy commander of the forces in Europe (DSaceur) general Bradshaw underlines that it is necessary to see now if there will be other advances of the separatists. In other words, Debaltseve is a thing of the past
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
