Poland mediates to resolve Ukraine’s crisis

Polish, French and German foreign ministers spent over two days in Kyiv. They met with the President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych, Ukrainian officials, three leaders of the Ukrainian opposition and civil society members. The last round of negotiations, which lasted 10 hours from Thursday night to Friday, was also attended by Vladimir Lukin, the Russian Federation’s special envoy.

The outcome of the mission is the signing in Kyiv on Friday of the document entitled “Agreement on the Settlement of the Crisis in Ukraine.” It provides for a scenario and a calendar of political steps to be taken to resolve the current crisis in Ukraine. Its main elements are: return to the Constitution of 2004 as an interim measure; formation of a government of national trust starting work on a new Constitution providing checks and balances to the powers of the president, the government and Parliament to be adopted by September; and calling new presidential and parliamentary elections after the new Constitution is adopted, but not later than at the end of 2014.

The signed agreement also provides for an investigation into the recent acts of violence to be monitored by the authorities, the opposition and the Council of Europe.

The authorities vowed not to impose martial law, while the two sides of the conflict declared that they would refrain from violence and confrontation. The document also calls for measures to free occupied buildings and disarm people who carry weapons.

The document was signed by President Victor Yanukovych, three leaders of the opposition Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Volodymyr Klychko, and Oleh Tyahnybok, and by the foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle, as witnesses. Earlier the agreement had been initialled by Vladimir Lukin, the Russian Federation’s special envoy.

Foreign ministers of Poland, France and Germany and the special envoy of the Russian Federation have called for an immediate stop to violence and confrontation.

Marcin Wojciechowski
MFA Press Spokesman