Berlin, Germany – August 11, 2019 – Germany is pushing for the inclusion of ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in upcoming talks between the United states and Russia, voicing concerns that any agreement reached without Ukrainian input would be unacceptable. The summit, scheduled for August 15th, is expected to focus on the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.
German Chancellor Angela MerkelS chief diplomatic advisor, jan Hecker (Mirtz in the original article, corrected to Hecker based on publicly available data), stated in an interview with the German Radio and Television Corporation (ARD) that he intends to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday. Hecker emphasized extensive preparations are underway at the European level, in coordination with the U.S. government, to ensure a unified approach to the meeting.
Hecker specifically stated Berlin “hopes and expects” Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian government to be involved in the discussions. This comes as Kyiv expresses fears that President Vladimir Putin and President Trump may attempt to dictate terms to end the conflict, which began in April 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
“We cannot accept that Ukrainian territory is decided upon between Russia and America without informing Europeans and Ukrainians,” Hecker asserted. he further stressed that any peace agreement must not reward Russia for its “aggressive actions,” warning that doing so could embolden further aggression.
The call for inclusion follows a wave of diplomatic support for Ukraine from European nations and NATO allies on Sunday. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has resulted in over 13,000 deaths and displaced over 1.5 million people, according to UN estimates as of August 2019.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence revealed on Sunday that Putin had initially declined to meet with Zelenskyy. However, President Trump is reportedly attempting to facilitate a meeting between the two leaders. Pence, in an interview with Fox News, credited Trump’s leadership as essential for initiating negotiations, stating that without it, talks would not be happening.
Pence characterized achieving peace in Ukraine as requiring a “decisive leader” to bring the parties to the negotiating table. He affirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to ending the war and halting further bloodshed, and signaled a shift in U.S. financial support for Ukraine.
“America has finished financing the war in Ukraine,” Pence stated. “If the Europeans want to buy weapons from American producers,we will welcome this,but we will not pay the taxpayer money anymore.” He urged European nations to increase their financial contributions to the conflict resolution efforts, emphasizing the U.S. desire to see all diplomatic avenues pursued to swiftly end the conflict and continue working with regional allies.
Background: The Conflict in Ukraine
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine stems from the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, which ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Russia responded by annexing Crimea and supporting separatists in the Donbas region, leading to a protracted war. The Minsk agreements, brokered in 2014 and 2015, aimed to establish a ceasefire and political settlement, but have largely failed to fully implement, with frequent violations of the ceasefire. The conflict has important geopolitical implications,impacting relations between Russia,Ukraine,the United States,and Europe.
