The suggestion by French President Emmanuel Macron that the West should think about Russia’s security needs if Moscow agrees talks to end the conflict in Ukraine sparked a storm in Kyiv, its Baltic allies, and a lot of criticism over the weekend.
Macron stated that Europe must prepare its future security architecture, and think about “how to guarantee Russia when it returns to the negotiating tables.
Mykhailo Podolyak, the top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said that Russia is providing security guarantees for the world, and not the other.
“Civilized world requires ‘security guarantees’ against barbaric intentions by post-Putin Russia,” Podolyak tweeted on Sunday (4 December).
Oleksiy Danilov (secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council) stated that a “denunclearized and desmilitarized Russia” would provide the best guarantee for peace for Ukraine and the rest of the world.
“Someone wants security guarantees for a terrorist state and a killer state?” Twitter user Danilov posted, and added the following: “Instead Nuremberg, to sign an accord with Russia and shake hands?”
Today, the Nuremberg trials to prosecute Nazi war crimes victims after World War Two have been hailed as precursors to tribunals such as The Hague’s International Criminal Court. Moscow refutes claims that its forces committed war crimes against Ukraine.
After many rounds of negotiations earlier in the war Kyiv has not been able to meet Moscow for months to discuss the end of the conflict. Kyiv claims that peace talks can only be reached if Russia ceases its aggressions and withdraws completely from any territories in Ukraine.
The Kremlin stated that the West must recognize Moscow’s September annexation of “new territories”, before any talks with Putin.
Last week, Macron met with Joe Biden, the US president, in Washington to discuss the war in Ukraine. Biden stated that there are no conditions for US and Russia to discuss ending the conflict.
After meeting Zelenskiy in Kyiv, he said that diplomacy is an objective for all but that it requires a partner. “And it is very clear…that Putin is not sincere and ready for this.”
Zelenskiy did not comment on Macron’s suggestion.
‘IT WON’T FLY’
Some Baltic countries border Russia have also criticised Macron’s suggestion that Moscow receive security guarantees.
Alexander Stubb, former prime minister of Finland, stated that he disagreed fundamentally with Macron.
He stated that “the only security guarantees we should concentrate on are essentially non Russian,” via his Twitter account. “Russia must first guarantee it doesn’t attack other countries,” he said.
Linas Linkevicus (former foreign minister of Lithuania) stated that Russia is covered by security guarantees provided it doesn’t “attack, annexe or occupy” its neighbors.
Linkevicus stated on Twitter that anyone who wants to create a new security structure that allows terrorist states to continue their methods of intimidation should reconsider.
David Arakhamia (a Kyiv lawmaker who was part of the negotiation team between Ukraine and Russia during negotiations) stated that Ukraine is willing to give Russia security guarantees provided it meets four conditions.
Arakhamia stated on Telegram that “for this it is sufficient: leave the territory in our country, pay reparations and punish all war criminals; surrender nuclear weapons.”
“After that, it is time to get down to the negotiation table and discuss security guarantees.”
Macron and Zelenskiy met frequently during the war’s nine-month duration. Zelenskiy thanked Macron for his efforts to find diplomatic solutions, while rejecting Macron’s suggestion that Kyiv might be open to compromise.
In May, Macron was widely criticized for saying that Russia shouldn’t be humiliated in order to find a diplomatic solution when the fighting in Ukraine ends. Source: eureporter.co
