OSCE Chief: Russia Spoke About Respect, Not Recognition of Ukraine Vote

Today 8:16 AM ET (Dow Jones)

By Laurence Norman

BRUSSEL--The head of the group tasked with crafting moves to calm tensions in Ukraine said Monday he believed Russia was open to genuine dialogue about its neighbor's future and played down concerns about the Kremlin's reaction to the eastern Ukraine referendums at the weekend.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels after meeting with European Union foreign ministers, Didier Burkhalter, Chairperson-in-Office for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said there was a short time window to take concrete steps to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis. He said that must include work to ensure free and fair presidential elections can take place on May 25.
His comments come as EU foreign ministers extended sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, the bloc confirmed. Diplomats said the EU had agreed to place a travel ban and asset freeze on 13 people including Russian officials and pro-Moscow Ukrainian separatists. Two Crimea-based companies were also added to the sanctions list, the diplomats said.
Earlier Monday, the Kremlin said it respects the secession referendums in eastern Ukraine and hopes for a "civilized implementation" of the results.
Mr. Burkhalter said the Russian response did not amount to recognition of the result.
"It has spoken about respect. It has not spoken about recognition. There is no recognition of this result," he said.
The OSCE chief, who held talks in Moscow last week, said he was "convinced" that Moscow was open to genuine discussions on Ukraine, providing those in the pro-Moscow east are given a proper voice in that country's future.
"We have seen in Moscow there is an openness for a dialogue," he said. "I am convinced that we are going to pursue this channel of communication."
In a copy of his remarks earlier to the EU foreign ministers released by the Swiss OSCE delegation, Mr. Burkhalter called for immediate steps to be taken to implement last month's Geneva accord. That agreement called for the disarming of armed groups, the freeing up of occupied buildings, an amnesty for most pre-Russia separatists and steps to discuss broad constitutional reform.
The OSCE last week produced a roadmap of steps to carry through the Geneva plan.
Mr. Bulkhalter said the roadmap suggested Ukraine's authorities consider holding a plebiscite on constitutional reforms at the first or second round of presidential elections. That could pave the way for the granting of significant autonomy to pre-Russian provinces, a key demand of Moscow.
The roadmap also calls for a series of public roundtables involving national officials and lawmakers and representatives from the pro-Russia provinces to discuss constitutional reform, he said.
In his comments to reporters later, Mr. Bulkhalter said now was not the time for a fresh Geneva meeting bringing together foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, the EU and the U.S.
"The biggest challenge for this operation is time. We don't have time to lose...We cannot discuss. We have to act."

Write to Laurence Norman at Laurence.Norman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 12, 2014 08:16 ET (12:16 GMT)
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