politics, trump, rutte, zelensky, ukraine, ceasefire.
On Tuesday, March 11th, President Trump’s administration managed to broker a ceasefire between two major parties in Ukraine, following renewed fighting near the Russia-Ukraine border. It was reported earlier in the week that a U.S. team of diplomats were involved in the successful talks, led by Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union. The two sides have been engaged in a years-long conflict, and many have seen this ceasefire as a vital moment for reducing violent tensions.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Ukrainian and armed separatist forces will refrain from engaging in combat, pull their artillery beyond certain limits, and allow humanitarian access to civilians in the area. This agreement will be enforced by both Ukrainian and Russian forces, according to the agreement.
The head of Ukraine’s delegation to the talks, Oleksandr Muzhko, claimed that the negotiations were aimed at ending the crisis in eastern Ukraine on its own terms. Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has been highly critical of the deal, claiming that it allows for the entrenchment of Russian military presence in the region. The leader of Russia’s Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, has also spoken in favor of the ceasefire, saying that it could be a step towards further diplomatic engagement between Russia and Ukraine.
Interestingly, this ceasefire comes less than a week after Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met with President Trump at a joint press conference in an effort to improve relations between their respective countries. During this press conference, US President Donald Trump pledged to the leading Dutch official to pursue a diplomatic solution to a rebillion in eastern Ukraine – signaling that the US is highly involved with diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict.
Certainly, multiple parties have, in recent weeks, attempted to ease tensions surrounding the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Most recently, President Trump met with his Ukrainian counterpart, comedian and erstwhile political newcomer Volodymyr Zelensky, at a joint press conference in December 2019. During this meeting, the pair discussed increased economic opportunities with the U.S. in light of an increased diplomatic dialogue allegedly linked to military solutions. Despite cynicism from some, that meeting has, according to reports, been an essential piece of the ongoing effort to bring Ukrainian-Russian tensions to a head.
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