Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko displayed a grudging sense of camaraderie in front of EU representatives in Minsk on Tuesday, as evidence of Moscow’s military involvement in Ukraine became evident. As much as Putin denies it, Russia’s presence in Ukraine is overt — the videos of 10 Russian paratroopers being captured deep inside Ukrainian territory being the latest case in point. The videos were aired hours before the two leaders faced each other in what can be seen as a direct attempt to embarrass and expose Putin.
There is, however, the small matter of ironing out the important details of a peace process. As much as he is the villain in the Russian-Ukrainian fiasco, which has all the ingredients to make Europe buckle at the knees in the coming winter months, it is necessary to do business with Putin. He is too big to ignore in the search for a political resolution to end this conflict. It is important, therefore, for all stakeholders to be diligent in their efforts towards a reconciliation. There must be a fixed timetable for ending the hostilities and, unlike what was witnessed after the meeting between the two leaders, the atmosphere must not be contaminated with the use of political double speak and ambiguity. There is also the crucial issue of solving the energy crisis between the two countries in the much awaited Energy Negotiations tomorrow. Russia had cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine in June over unpaid bills threatening energy deliveries through Ukraine and Europe. The immediate priority is to cease hostilities and build an atmosphere of mutual trust.
