Russia: Deal Reached on Calming Ukraine Tensions
By AP, 17 April 2014
GENEVA (AP) — Russia's foreign minister says top diplomats have agreed to take immediate steps toward calming tensions in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the four parties gathered Thursday in Geneva — the U.S., European Union, Ukraine and Russia — will work to establish a broad national dialogue to ensure that people's rights are protected.
He said that amnesty will be given to pro-Russian protesters who participated in an uprising against the government in Kiev, except those found guilty of capital crimes.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for a bilateral meeting to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine as diplomats from the U.S., Ukraine, Russia and the European Union gather for discussions in Geneva Thursday, April 17, 2014.
(AP Photo/Jim Bourg, Pool)
Ukraine is hoping to placate Russia and calm hostilities with its neighbor even as the U.S. prepares a new round of sanctions to punish Moscow for what it regards as fomenting unrest.
The tentative agreement could put on hold — for now at least — economic sanctions the West had prepared to impose on Russia if the talks were fruitless. And that would ease international pressure both on Moscow and nervous European Union nations that depend on Russia for their energy.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Deshchytsia for a bilateral meeting to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine as diplomats from the United States, Ukraine, Russia and the European Union gather for discussions in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, April 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Jim Bourg, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in a bilateral meeting to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, April 17, 2014.
(AP Photo/Jim Bourg, Pool)
Secretary of State Kerry arrived in Geneva on Wednesday for the high-stakes diplomatic meetings with Russia, Ukraine and the EU.
Deal Struck to Calm Ukraine Crisis, EU, US and Russia say
BBC News,
US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton hold a joint news conference
Russia's foreign minister and the US secretary of state have said that all sides have agreed to steps to "de-escalate" the crisis in Ukraine.
Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry spoke at separate news conferences at the end of the talks between Russia, Ukraine, the EU and US in the Swiss city of Geneva.
Analysts say the outline agreement could stay economic sanctions the West was preparing to impose on Russia.
Ukraine has been in crisis since the toppling of its pro-Moscow president.
This was followed by the seizing of government buildings in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists opposed to the new order in the capital Kiev.
Mr Lavrov and Mr Kerry said there was agreement that all illegal military formations in Ukraine must be dissolved, and that everyone occupying buildings must be disarmed and leave them.
They added that there would be an amnesty for all anti-government protesters under the agreement.
Mr Lavrov said the crisis must be settled by Ukrainians themselves and there must be long-term constitutional reforms.
Mr Kerry said the extent of the crisis had been highlighted in recent days by the "grotesque" sending of notices to Jews in eastern Ukraine, demanding that they identify themselves as Jewish.