12 August 2014
During an Aug. 11 telephone conversation with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is dispatching a humanitarian convoy to Ukraine in cooperation with the Red Cross International Committee, the Kremlin press service reported. Putin cited “the catastrophic consequences of the military operation being conducted by the Kyiv government in the southeastern regions and the necessity for urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to the conflict zone.” In his turn, Barroso discouraged Putin from unilateral use of force under any pretext, including humanitarian. He also expressed his concern about the flow of arms, military hardware and fighters from Russia into Ukraine and called upon Putin to use his influence to enable civilians to depart the conflict zone.
Russia’s humanitarian convoy won’t involve the military, reported on Aug. 11 Dmitry Pyeskov, the Russian Presidential Administration press secretary. The convoy will be handled by the Emergency Situations Ministry and will depart for Ukraine in the nearest future, he said. Meanwhile, video evidence has surfaced on the Internet of KamAZ military trucks being painted white for humanitarian purposes.
The Russian government has reached agreement with the Ukrainian government on a humanitarian aid plan that will occur under the guise of the Red Cross International Committee, reported on Aug. 11 Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. Under the plan, the Russian government will supply the humanitarian aid, he said. The lack of desire in the West to see the necessity of offering humanitarian aid to Ukraine is an “alarming display of cynicism,” he said.
The Red Cross International Committee confirmed on Aug. 11 its readiness to support the Russian convoy’s delivery of humanitarian aid, the Ukrinform news agency said. Its officials met with Russian and Ukrainian officials and submitted a document outlining the conditions for its involvement. Among them, all the sides must ensure the safety of Red Cross personnel and its transportation during the entire operation, taking into account the Red Cross doesn’t accept armed escorts.
Presidential Administration Deputy Head Valeriy Chaly told an Aug. 11 television show that Ukraine won’t allow any humanitarian convoys from Russia. Instead the Russian government can join President Poroshenko’s initiative in organizing an international humanitarian mission for the Luhansk region that has gained the support of the U.S., EU, Germany and Great Britain. The U.S, EU and UN Security Council stated they are opposed to Russia offering humanitarian aid, instead recommending that international organizations perform the task. On Aug. 8, Chaly said the Russian government has a plan to invade Ukraine under the pretext of a humanitarian mission.
Poroshenko’s initiative consists of dispatching to the Luhansk region humanitarian aid under an international mission involving the Red Cross, the U.S., the EU and Russia, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in an Aug. 11 statement. “The logistical escort of the international mission of humanitarian aid, particularly its delivery and distribution, will be ensured by representatives of the Red Cross International Committee and Ukraine,” the statement said. “With that it’s important that the humanitarian aid is distributed exclusively among the civilian population of the Luhansk region, which for a long time has suffered from the actions of illegal armed formations and terror.”
In an Aug. 11 telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Barroso expressed support for the Ukrainian government’s actions in offering humanitarian aid to the residents of eastern regions, the Ukrayinska Pravda news site reported. Barroso also announced an emergency meeting of the European Commission to consider offering aid under the guise of the United Nations.
Zenon Zawada: This latest episode of Russian aggression in Ukraine has all the signs of becoming an international fiasco. The Russians claim they’ve reached consensus with the Ukrainian government, which in its turn said it won’t accept a Russian-led convoy. So agreement hasn’t been reached even on a basic level. It’s peculiar timing for the Russian government to call for a humanitarian convoy at a time when the Ukrainian military is calling for an evacuation of the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk ahead of a planned military offensive. News reports said Western equity markets improved on Monday on Russia’s willingness to de-escalate the conflict, but we don’t any de-escalation on the horizon.