U.S. Russian ambassador candidate offers peace proposal for Ukraine

Thomas Graham, a possible candidate for U.S. Ambassador to Russia, proposed his formula for resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in an interview with Voice of America published on Jan. 3. He suggested the Western leadership drop its demand of full implementation of the Minsk Accords in exchange for removing sanctions. Instead, he proposed trading sanctions, piece-by-piece, in exchange for fulfilling sections of the Minsk Accords. He suggested the possibility of legally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, in exchange for certain measures such as compensating the Ukrainian state or holding a new referendum.

In the spirit of Victor Pinchuk proposal published last week, he suggested that Ukraine consider a neutral geopolitical status rather than commit itself to Euro-Atlantic integration. Graham is the managing director for the Kissinger Associates, Inc. consulting firm, which focuses on Russian and Eurasian affairs. He was identified as a possible candidate for U.S. ambassador to Russia by the politico.com news site.

 Zenon Zawada: Any new and creative proposals to establish peace in Ukraine must be welcomed, but certain principles must not be abandoned. For example, the legal recognition of the Crimean annexation would set a dangerous precedent. And Ukraine must be allowed to pursue cooperation and integration with Euro-Atlantic structures. On the other hand, the proposal to remove sanctions on a piecemeal basis is worth considering. Despite the Ukrainian president’s support for the Minsk Accords, we don’t see their fulfillment as ensuring security for Ukraine. Freezing the conflict in Donbas should be an option to be kept on the table.

However, despite the Ukrainian president’s support for the Minsk Accords, we don’t see their fulfillment as ensuring security for Ukraine. Freezing the conflict in Donbas should be an option to be kept on the table.