The agreement on Ukraine

An agreement to ease the Ukrainian crisis was reached in Geneva on Thursday. Kiev was represented by its government. But who represented the rebels? Maybe Russia?. Do they have authority over them? It seems so at the eyes of the other participants who, by the way seem to have accepted in fact the situation in Crimea.

The United States, European Union, Russia and Ukraine participated in the talks. They decided to urge to al illegal armed groups to disarm and vacate seized buildings.

“All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions,” a joint statement issued after the Geneva talks said

Will Russia convince the rebels to disarm, after they not only have the control of 10 cities but had humiliated the Ukrainian army? Because Kiev has demonstrated that has not control whatsoever and its attempts to restore order gradually and without a bloodshed have been a total failure. It’s difficult to imagine now the rebels giving up their weapons to the Army after they have seized Army vehicles and forced soldiers to surrender.

This agreement will be very difficult to implement on the ground.

It’s easy to sign an agreement without the consent of the main affected by its content. If there is no compliance you can easily blame the rebel groups not represented at the talks.

The same day Russia had signed the agreement and the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told that Russia had not intention to send troops to Eastern and South Ukraine, Putin held a televised Q&A event in which he didn’t exclude the possibility.

“As for what is happening in southeastern Ukraine, we don’t know for sure”, he said, “But we believe that we ought to do everything we can to help these people defend their rights and determine their fate on their own. This is what we will fight for. Let me remind you that the Federation Council of Russia gave the President the right to use the Armed Forces in Ukraine. I very much hope that I will not have to exercise this right and that, through political and diplomatic means, we will be able to resolve all the pressing, if not to say burning, issues in Ukraine.”