Late Saturday evening the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and US President, Donald trump held a telephone conversation, during which, in particular, discussed the settlement of the situation in the Donbas and the escalation of tensions in the plant. As reported at the end of the conversation, the press service Poroshenko, special attention was paid to the possibility of achieving peace in the East of Ukraine “political and diplomatic means”. The two leaders expressed deep concern about “the deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in the area of Avdeevka”, and “stressed the urgent need for the establishment of a regime of complete ceasefire” in the Donbass, the press service of the President of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine thanked the White house for its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. During the conversation they also discussed the forthcoming visit of the President of Petro Poroshenko in Washington for the preparation of which in the US will go the Minister of foreign Affairs of Ukraine, reported on the page in “Facebook” the press Secretary of Ukrainian President Svyatoslav Tsigalko.
It should be noted that the message of the office of the press Secretary the White house this conversation was much shorter. In particular, it stated the following: “the President of the United States Donald trump already had a good conversation with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, which covered a variety of topics, including the long conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “We will work with Ukraine, Russia and other involved parties to help restore peace along the border”, — the President said trump. Also discussed was the possibility of a meeting in the near future.”
One of the American commentators Julian, Borger called it the message is quite strange. “A strange message about trump’s conversation with Poroshenko, as if the conflict concerns a border dispute between Russia and Ukraine and does not mention that Ukraine is at war”.
It should be noted that the same day the President of the United States Donald trump in an interview with the American Fox News channel, spoke about his vision of relations with Russia.
In particular here’s what he said about the Russian President Vladimir Putin: “I respect him. I respect many people, but this does not mean that I have good relations with them”. After he called Putin a “murderer”, trump said, “Murderers are many. We [also] a lot of killers. Do you think that our country is so innocent?” Donald trump then added that the US would be better off if relations with Russia were good: “I Think that Russia is better to be friends than Vice versa.” “If Russia is helping us fight ISIS (banned organization in Russia — approx. ed.) and it’s a big struggle, and with Islamic terrorism throughout the world, it’s good (translated “Day” — approx. ed.)”, — said the President of the United States.
This fragment of the interview sparked a wave of comments in social networks. In particular, former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul reacted to the words of trump: “Mr. President, why do you respect someone who destroyed democracy in Russia, annexed the land in Ukraine and interfere in our elections? Why?”
The former Ambassador said later in his Twitter: “Mr. President, our soldiers didn’t commit to carpet bombing cities. We don’t kill critics of the government, will review Google: Grozny, Aleppo, Nemtsov, Litvinenko”.
This explanation is trump against Putin sparked outrage from Senator Bob Portman, who wrote on Twitter: “Contrary to the misinformation mentioned here Russia is responsible for violence in Ukraine. Russia annexed the Crimea and invaded Eastern Ukraine.”
“It is important that the conversation sounded a word of protracted conflict between Ukraine and Russia”
Hanna hopko, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on foreign Affairs:
— First of all, good that this conversation took place in the second week after his inauguration. We have had a series of conversations with Merkel, Hollande, Putin, Abe. In addition, in the first week of the visit of the British Prime Minister Theresa may in Washington. On the second week we saw the telephone calls trump with NATO Secretary General, Prime Minister of Italy, as well as with the Ukrainian President. The US President confirmed his visit to Italy at the G7 summit, its position on NATO in conversation with Stoltenberg. It is also important that the White house has called a very good telephone conversation trump with Poroshenko.
Secondly, the key in this conversation it was agreed on the meeting that Washington will go to the Minister of foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin to discuss the details of the visit. And I think the biggest result of the telephone conversation that Ukraine will not talk outside of Ukraine, as the us tried to impose on Russia.
Thirdly, it is important that the conversation sounded a word of protracted conflict between Ukraine and Russia and that the United States will work together with Ukraine and Russia to help restore peace along the Russian-Ukrainian border. It is very good that Americans remember about their obligations. It is a pity that there is no mention of the Crimea. But before that, we heard the conversation of the White house, which confirmed that the U.S. permanent representative to the UN, Nikki Haley, in his statement condemning the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the words that the sanctions against the Crimea will continue until Russia will not return the Peninsula to Ukraine, expressed the position of the trump.
All of the above suggests that the Ukrainian question — the conflict with Russia — it is necessary to solve with Ukraine as a subject of negotiations and not outside of it. Now the main challenge facing Ukraine is seriously preparing for this meeting with trump. Prior to that, I think, will be meeting with the Vice-President of Pensions at the Munich conference on security issues. We need to ensure that we not only had the Pens as Biden previously, and the President trump had a clear vision and did not occupy the position of an ostrich, like Obama, who was afraid to go to Ukraine and actively participated in the negotiations on the resolution of the conflict with Russia. Therefore, we must go with the specific package solutions, with our clear “red lines” and clear vision as the subject, we never agreed to Merkel and other leaders. We must show the will of the Ukrainian people agreed position of the political elites, is that we played as one national team. Thus, for this meeting we must prepare, but also our vision for a peaceful settlement in the East, the de-occupation of Crimea, it is very important to accelerate the pace of reforms, strengthen its position on internal transformations to disagreements among the political elites don’t weaken our negotiating position.
So next week the Parliament should start working with a clear progress in key areas that are of interest to Americans, to show that it will operate the rule of law, investment will be protected. For this we need to continue the judicial reform, some changes in the Constitution a little, strengthen anti-corruption measures, to provide NABOO independence in listening, to update the composition of the Central election Commission and audit chamber.
“This is a telephone conversation between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States can be considered a turning point”
Nicholas Beleskov, an analyst at the Institute of world policy, Kiev:
First of all, it should be noted that a telephone conversation between Petro Poroshenko and Donald trump is a landmark event. As was finally refuted the idea that the basis of U.S. policy toward Ukraine under the new head of the White House will be the place for support (which in fact was not) another candidate during the presidential race of 2016.
It is significant that the us message about the conversation much shorter than what was published by the presidential Administration of Ukraine. However, nothing surprising in this, because the nature of the relations Ukraine — US asymmetrical: we are much more dependent on the us policy on key issues, rather than Vice versa. Therefore, the Administration of President tried as much as possible to convey the essence of the conversation, while the White House has described the key question of Ukrainian-Russian war. And, in fact, in this respect, a telephone conversation between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States February 4, 2017 can be considered a turning point, as Russia was clearly named as a party to the conflict. In addition, it was about “the restoration of peace on the border”. We can assume that behind these formulations is the idea that without establishing Ukraine’s effective control over the border no peace not only on the border but throughout the Donbass will not be — what, in fact, consistently said the official Kiev. The message on the website of the President of Ukraine also confirms that the main issue during the discussion was the settlement of the conflict in the East.
There is also no doubt that Petro Poroshenko and Donald trump discussed the situation escalation of the situation kind of Avdiivka, as President of the US constantly about this report, as confirmed this week, press Secretary of the President of the United States Sean Spicer. In addition, thanks to the President of Ukraine for support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty by the new head of the United States is justified. The already mentioned Sean Spicer also stated that the words of the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley that can’t be a question of lifting sanctions against Russia until full restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty, the official position of the U.S. government. Also interesting is the moment that the President talked about strengthening economic ties “to create new jobs and growth of welfare of citizens of the two countries”. Thus Ukraine is trying to fit into the economic dimension of the policy of America First proclaimed by Donald trump. Moreover, today Boris Lozhkin is already working on a package of economic proposals from the Ukraine, that would be interesting to US.
Justified is also eager to meet the leaders of Ukraine and the United States, as was also mentioned. Thus, the official Kiev will be able again to convey its position on key issues ahead of a possible summit trump Putin.
“We see predictable trump!”
Lilia Shevtsova, Russian political scientist and publicist, Moscow:
O’reilly probably had in mind the tweet of Senator McCain, in which he wrote that a prominent Russian oppositionist Vladimir Kara-Murza was again on the verge of life and death in Moscow. Indeed, there is a suspicion that he was poisoned. McCain, in his usual manner pointed out the Russian President as responsible for the possible attempt on the life of Kara-Murza. Trump’s response is to be expected within the model that today he chose against Russia and the Kremlin. Trump confirms that he sees Russia as an ally in implementing his foreign policy agenda: the fight against international terrorism (and in fact with Islam!) and the neutralization of China and Iran. All that would interfere with his plans, it is discarded. For his “existential” shake the world order for which it seeks partners, it doesn’t matter. So we see predictable trump!
“Trump doesn’t want to see Putin as he really is”
John Hurst, President of the Eurasian center Dean Patrice the American Council, former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Washington:
A phone call between presidents Poroshenko and trump were good. As well as the conversation between trump and Yulia Tymoshenko. They both gave Trump the opportunity to look at Russia’s war on Ukraine, to learn something and to make statements about the U.S. position, which is moving in the right political direction. But his understanding is incomplete and U.S. policy is not clear or, at least, not the way it was supposed to be.
As for trump’s statements about Putin. He seems like Trump, who respects him. But trump doesn’t want to see Putin for what he is, really. There’s also a place for better understanding.
