17:45
24.4.2014
17:56
24.4.2014
More from the OSCE. This time its secretary-general Lamberto Zannier, speaking in Rome to our Ukrainian Service.
"The [upcoming] elections [in Ukraine] should be regarded as providing a possibility for a dialogue and reconciliation in the country. OSCE monitors promote such an opinion. We hope the Ukrainians will understand it. We also hope that the Ukrainians will understand that avoiding participation in the country's political processes for a long time results in negative consequences for everybody."
"The [upcoming] elections [in Ukraine] should be regarded as providing a possibility for a dialogue and reconciliation in the country. OSCE monitors promote such an opinion. We hope the Ukrainians will understand it. We also hope that the Ukrainians will understand that avoiding participation in the country's political processes for a long time results in negative consequences for everybody."
17:58
24.4.2014
18:01
24.4.2014
19:04
24.4.2014
From our news desk:
Czech President Milos Zeman says he believes the European Union's Eastern Partnership program should try to help de-escalate tensions in Ukraine.
Zeman said April 24 he is concerned that Ukraine, a member of the program, faces the threat of a Russian invasion or a civil war.
His comments came as the Czech capital, Prague, is hosting a two-day gathering of the EU's Eastern Partnership program.
The EU partnership program was launched in 2009 in Prague to boost ties between the EU and Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Belarus.
Leaders of most of the partnership's member countries are attending the Prague meeting. Ukraine has sent Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya.
Belarus is boycotting the event because President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was not invited.
Zeman said April 24 he is concerned that Ukraine, a member of the program, faces the threat of a Russian invasion or a civil war.
His comments came as the Czech capital, Prague, is hosting a two-day gathering of the EU's Eastern Partnership program.
The EU partnership program was launched in 2009 in Prague to boost ties between the EU and Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Belarus.
Leaders of most of the partnership's member countries are attending the Prague meeting. Ukraine has sent Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya.
Belarus is boycotting the event because President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was not invited.
19:29
24.4.2014
Our Brussels correspondent Rikard Jozwiak just sat down with Ukraine's ambassador to the EU, Konstantin Yeliseyev, to discuss the ongoing developments in Ukraine, the European Union's response to the crisis, and the issue of Ukrainian energy security.
RFE/RL: With the latest developments in eastern Ukraine, is it fair to state that the Geneva agreement is dead?
Yeliseyev: In our view there is still a possibility to come back to the process of implementation of the Geneva agreement because the main essence of the Geneva agreement is to try to de-escalate the situation and to create a constructive climate for political stabilization of the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine, which will be a prerequisite for the second phase. The second stage is to try to settle the problem related to the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
RFE/RL: Is it time for phase 3 sanctions on Russia that hit the country's economy?
Yeliseyev: My message to the European Union is to be more creative and more smart. We need to surprise Russia by our actions because what the EU is currently doing, they are introducing restrictive measures which were to a certain extent well-anticipated by the Russian Federation. What we need to do now is to proceed with real surprise actions. We need to be smart and creative. Once again, in my view, one of the possible punishments is huge, generous support of Ukraine at all possible levels.
RFE/RL: What does this support on all possible levels mean apart from financial aid?
Yeliseyev: Let's talk about the energy issue: energy security. Currently, Ukraine is very much in need of organizing reversed flow of gas from the territory of some EU member states -- namely we are talking about Slovakia. Currently, we are working hard with a view to convince our Slovak partners to launch a process of physical reversed flow of gas to Ukraine in order to secure, first of all, energy security of Ukraine and, secondly, to ensure the safety and security of gas transits to the European Union during the winter period. Now we are talking about the reversed flow from the Kapusany region of Slovakia to Ukraine and we are talking about annual supply of up to 30 bcm [billion cubic meters] of gas to Ukraine. Unfortunately, as of today, the Slovak authorities are hesitant whether to launch this physical supply of gas to Ukraine or not. The problem is the influence of the [Russian state-controlled] Gazprom-affiliated company to the Slovak Eustream company and they are not so optimistic and not so happy in order to organize reversed flow.
RFE/RL Are you confident that Ukraine will sign the trade part of the Association Agreement with the EU in June?
Yeliseyev: Why not? And it is our joint aspiration. I am speaking about the European Union and Ukraine signing the remaining part of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement related mainly to the DCTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area] immediately after the presidential election in Ukraine, which will take place on May 25 this year.
RFE/RL: With the latest developments in eastern Ukraine, is it fair to state that the Geneva agreement is dead?
Yeliseyev: In our view there is still a possibility to come back to the process of implementation of the Geneva agreement because the main essence of the Geneva agreement is to try to de-escalate the situation and to create a constructive climate for political stabilization of the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine, which will be a prerequisite for the second phase. The second stage is to try to settle the problem related to the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
RFE/RL: Is it time for phase 3 sanctions on Russia that hit the country's economy?
Yeliseyev: My message to the European Union is to be more creative and more smart. We need to surprise Russia by our actions because what the EU is currently doing, they are introducing restrictive measures which were to a certain extent well-anticipated by the Russian Federation. What we need to do now is to proceed with real surprise actions. We need to be smart and creative. Once again, in my view, one of the possible punishments is huge, generous support of Ukraine at all possible levels.
RFE/RL: What does this support on all possible levels mean apart from financial aid?
Yeliseyev: Let's talk about the energy issue: energy security. Currently, Ukraine is very much in need of organizing reversed flow of gas from the territory of some EU member states -- namely we are talking about Slovakia. Currently, we are working hard with a view to convince our Slovak partners to launch a process of physical reversed flow of gas to Ukraine in order to secure, first of all, energy security of Ukraine and, secondly, to ensure the safety and security of gas transits to the European Union during the winter period. Now we are talking about the reversed flow from the Kapusany region of Slovakia to Ukraine and we are talking about annual supply of up to 30 bcm [billion cubic meters] of gas to Ukraine. Unfortunately, as of today, the Slovak authorities are hesitant whether to launch this physical supply of gas to Ukraine or not. The problem is the influence of the [Russian state-controlled] Gazprom-affiliated company to the Slovak Eustream company and they are not so optimistic and not so happy in order to organize reversed flow.
RFE/RL Are you confident that Ukraine will sign the trade part of the Association Agreement with the EU in June?
Yeliseyev: Why not? And it is our joint aspiration. I am speaking about the European Union and Ukraine signing the remaining part of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement related mainly to the DCTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area] immediately after the presidential election in Ukraine, which will take place on May 25 this year.
19:32
24.4.2014
British journalist who does some work for RT.
19:33
24.4.2014
Winding up the live blog for another night. See you tomorrow.
19:35
24.4.2014
Actually one more item from our Brussels correspondent.
A document from Ukraine’s Naftogaz, seen by RFE/RL, says reversed gas flows from Slovakia could provide Ukraine with as much as 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year.
Ukraine needs around 50 billion cubic meters a year.
The country currently gets most of its gas from Russia, which has threatened to sharply increase the price Ukraine must pay amid high tensions between the neighboring states.
Slovakia has indicated it is willing to take the necessary technical steps to get around eight billion cubic meters per year flowing to Ukraine in the coming months. Ukraine says it's possible for Slovakia to provide much more.
However, there are concerns that Russian energy giant Gazprom, which supplies around one-third of Europe’s gas demand, could accuse Slovakia of violating its contract with Gazprom by carrying out such reverse flows.
The Ukrainian and Slovak energy ministers held talks on the issue April 24 in Bratislava with European Union Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger. Further discussions are expected in Kyiv on April 25.
Ukraine needs around 50 billion cubic meters a year.
The country currently gets most of its gas from Russia, which has threatened to sharply increase the price Ukraine must pay amid high tensions between the neighboring states.
Slovakia has indicated it is willing to take the necessary technical steps to get around eight billion cubic meters per year flowing to Ukraine in the coming months. Ukraine says it's possible for Slovakia to provide much more.
However, there are concerns that Russian energy giant Gazprom, which supplies around one-third of Europe’s gas demand, could accuse Slovakia of violating its contract with Gazprom by carrying out such reverse flows.
The Ukrainian and Slovak energy ministers held talks on the issue April 24 in Bratislava with European Union Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger. Further discussions are expected in Kyiv on April 25.
05:22
25.4.2014
Good Morning. We'll start our live blog today with a tweet from the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine:
VIDEO @JohnKerry delivers remarks on #Ukraine. http://t.co/PV0596Ro2R | Video: http://t.co/BP2rMRsDSf
— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) April 25, 2014