14 March 2014
Ukraine Must Not Become a
New Berlin Wall
“Any long-term settlement of the present Ukrainian
crisis should include respect for Ukrainian independence, sovereignty, and
territorial integrity, as well as respect for the rights and aspirations of all
ethnic groups in Ukraine,” former Polish foreign minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld,
former German deputy foreign minister Wolfgang Ischinger, and former British
defense secretary Des Browne write in their joint statement. The statement was
also signed by Igor Ivanov, a former Russian foreign minister, and Sam Nunn, a
former U.S. senator.
In the assessment of the authors “The situation that
we now see in Ukraine graphically demonstrates the inadequacies of the current
Euro-Atlantic security system.” They predict that “events in the long run will
be detrimental to Russia, Europe, the United States, and the citizens of
Ukraine.” “Ukraine must not become a new Berlin Wall in Europe. Dividing
Ukraine would mean dividing Europe again,” warn the statement’s authors.
“The crisis should be a lesson for us all--a call to
unite our efforts to assist Ukrainians in reaching a lasting accommodation
among themselves, and to lay the foundation for a new comprehensive
Euro-Atlantic security community,”Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Wolfgang Ischinger, Des
Browne, Igor Ivanov and Sam Nunn note.
Below is the full statement.
Ukraine Must Not Become a
New Berlin Wall
By Des Browne, Wolfgang Ischinger,
Igor Ivanov,
Sam Nunn and Adam Daniel
Rotfeld
Today Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and U.S.
Secretary of State Kerry will meet in London to discuss the Ukrainian crisis.
The situation that we now see in Ukraine graphically demonstrates the inadequacies
of the current Euro-Atlantic security system. More than twenty years after the
end of the Cold War, the states of the Euro-Atlantic region have yet to define,
agree or implement an approach to security that can ensure peace, independence,
and freedom from fear of violence for all nations.
No nation benefits from this persistent inaction to
find an inclusive way to ensure mutual security for all. Events around Ukraine
today are the latest confirmation of this grim reality and in the long run will
be detrimental to Russia, Europe, the United States, and the citizens of
Ukraine.
The heart of the problem is a corrosive lack of trust
among nations in the region, exacerbated by a list of persistent, difficult
issues that endanger regional security. This “deficit of trust” within the
Euro-Atlantic community undermines cooperation, increases tensions, raises
costs, and ultimately puts our citizens at unnecessary risk.
Ukraine’s circumstances today present a grave danger
and create a necessity for joint action. Ukraine must not become a new Berlin
Wall in Europe. Dividing Ukraine would mean dividing Europe again. The crisis
should be a lesson for us all--a call to unite our efforts to assist Ukrainians
in reaching a lasting accommodation among themselves, and to lay the foundation
for a new comprehensive Euro-Atlantic security community.
In the interests of overcoming the crisis in Ukraine,
we support efforts by governments to form a Contact Group comprised
of foreign ministers from Russia, the United States, and key European
countries. This Contact Group should work to reduce tensions and prepare a
detailed program of action to resolve the present crisis. That program could
include the employment of international monitors in Ukraine, support for free
and fair presidential and parliamentary elections, and programs and means to
protect the rights and ensure the safety of all people living in Ukraine.
Any long-term settlement of the present
Ukrainian crisis should include respect for Ukrainian independence,
sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as respect for the rights and
aspirations of all ethnic groups in Ukraine.
On the basis of these principles the Contact Group
could also support plans for immediate political, economic, and social measures
to assist Ukraine’s recovery from its present economic and political crisis.
The implementation of these plans could also be closely monitored by the
Contact Group.
In addition to the Contact Group, assistance from
other international and regional institutions would be welcome, including in
particular the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
By working together on the immediate crisis, we will
not only assist the Ukrainian people in their desperate situation but will also
lay the foundation for the trust needed to build an effective, new
Euro-Atlantic security community.
A much-needed new approach to security in the region
must include a new dialogue among Euro-Atlantic states on building mutual
security. The dialogue must be mandated by political leaders and must address
core security issues through a dynamic process that directly deals with key
divides. Looking ahead, such a mandate could help create the essential,
positive momentum for discussions that would further boost what must be a
systematic effort to deepen cooperation and mutual understanding and avoid
future conflicts.
Today’s leaders have a responsibility and opportunity
to apply a fresh approach to Euro-Atlantic security. We believe this new
approach for building mutual security can move Europe, Russia, and the United
States towards a safer and more stable form of security with decreasing risks
of conflict and greater cooperation, transparency, defense and stability.
The world is watching. Resolving this dramatic crisis
in Ukraine could chart a new path for Euro-Atlantic relations.
http://www.msz.gov.pl/en/
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