A CONCERT IN WHICH ALL SINGERS SING DIFFERENT SONGS AT THE SAME TIME

The Geneva talks on the Ukraine crisis, which were attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State John Kerry, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia produced some results despite very negative expectations. According to the joint Geneva Declaration, the participants "agreed on the need to take concrete initial steps to de-escalate tensions and establish security for all citizens of Ukraine".

Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference that the parties to the conflict agreed to "refrain from any violence, intimidation and provocative actions". All illegal armed groups should be disarmed, occupied office buildings should be returned to their legitimate owners and occupied streets, squares and other public places in all cities of Ukraine should be freed. All protesters, except those who committed serious crimes, should be amnestied. To implement these measures, a special OSCE monitoring mission will be set up to assist the authorities in Kiev and local communities in the regions. About 120 observers of the mission are already in Ukraine.

But one gets the feeling that, despite the agreement, the parties put different meanings in the terms of the agreement. In particular, when it comes to the disarmament of illegal armed groups, Moscow has the Right Sector in mind, while Kiev, for example, the People's Militia of Donbass. The EU and US are demanding that Russia pull its troops back from the Ukrainian border, while Andriy Deshchytsia said that Kiev does not intend to withdraw its troops from the southeast of Ukraine - the anti-terrorist operation will be continued. According to Deshchytsia, the troops are on the territory of Ukraine and "there is nowhere to withdraw them", and besides that, the presence of troops does not necessarily mean that they will be used. But Russia answers precisely in the same way about its own army. Kerry gave the agreement certain time, and then the US will resort to new sanctions against Russia. However, the European Parliament decided not to wait and adopted a resolution calling for a strengthened second phase of punitive measures against Russian companies and an embargo on the supply of weapons and high-tech products to Russia. Of course, the fact that even the press conference after the talks was held by the sides separately says a lot. What also catches the eye is the practical absence in the document of mechanisms for the implementation of agreements and monitoring. Therefore, the situation in Ukraine, especially in the southeast of the country, continues to remain uncertain.

The unrest in the eastern regions - the cities of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Slovyansk, Mariupol, Yenakiieve, Kramatorsk and others - broke out a few weeks ago, but began to grow and develop into mass protests closer to the middle of April. Information on developments in these areas of Ukraine had an extremely contradictory nature - from news about shootings and kidnappings to the disarmament of the special force (!) by residents of various cities and towns. In Mariupol, where citizens and military failed to agree, several people were killed. Masked men seized the buildings of city and village councils and regional administrations. Barricades are being built and tires are being burnt again - one gets the impression that there are endless numbers of tires in Ukraine. But the most striking thing is reports that residents of the southeast of Ukraine manage to "chase", "capture" and "block" armoured personnel carriers and trucks carrying howitzers. For example, in the village of Raygorodka in Luhansk Region locals stopped an armoured convoy of Ukrainian airborne troops. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry officially confirmed that "six Ukrainian armoured personnel carriers had been captured in Kramatorsk by pro-Russian extremists". If things are more or less clear with the army, the role of the police is completely incomprehensible - Ukraine's Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov counts the dead and injured on Facebook and issues orders without leaving Kiev.

The goals of the protesters were initially not too clear - either federalization and broad autonomy, or the right to self-determination and independence, or joining Russia (at least the majority of protests were, and are being, held under Russian flags). It is not known how all this, in their view, should be implemented - if there is a referendum, who will organize it and how? While a rally for the "Unity of Ukraine" was being held in Luhansk, the former head of the Luhansk Regional Court of Appeal Anatoliy Vizir proclaimed himself president of the "Southeast Republic", in Donetsk, the creation of the "Independent Republic of Donetsk" was proclaimed, and the "Anti-Maydan" in Odessa proclaimed the region "Odessa People's Republic". Southeastern Ukraine, which has risen up against the Kiev authorities, has no single protest centre, concerted action, as well as clearly defined demands. This does not mean that no attempts are being made. For example, there is a statement by the coordinating council of the "South East" movement, which calls for a transition to a federal state structure and holding of presidential elections only after that, as well as an end to the anti-terrorist operation, special status for the Russian language and the protection of all minorities. This, incidentally, almost coincides with the way out of the crisis offered by Lavrov in Geneva.

On the other hand, the actions of the current Ukrainian authorities are not too justified either. On 15 April, Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov, who was appointed by the Verkhovna Rada as acting president of Ukraine, announced the start of a military operation that aims to protect people, but did not specify from whom they are going to defend the inhabitants of the southeast of the country and in what ways. From other residents? From themselves? Or from Russia?

Indeed, the Ukrainians believe that activists operating in Donetsk Region are like Crimean "little green men" who are "terrorists " and "Russian saboteurs". Kiev even presented "material evidence" - according to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), the leader of the "armed groups that seize administrative buildings and destabilize the situation in the east of Ukraine" turned out to be an officer of the GRU special force of the Russian General Staff, Igor Strelkov. Information is "roaming" in the media and the Internet about the formation of a shock group of Russian troops in the immediate vicinity of the Ukrainian border. Apparently, in this regard, Acting Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Koval issued a decree to create fortified gun emplacements along the border with Russia, while residents of the Ukrainian capital were instructed what they should do in case of a military emergency.

However, the Kremlin calls the actions of Ukrainian authorities in Donetsk Region "a war against their own people" and categorically denies the presence of Russian soldiers on the territory of the neighbouring state, although during the "direct line" on 17 April Vladimir Putin admitted that Russian soldiers were "behind the self-defence of Crimea". According to the head of the Kremlin, "it was simply impossible to hold a referendum in another way - openly, honestly and worthily help people to express their opinion". At the same time, Putin is sure: everything that happens in the southeast of Ukraine is the result of the unwillingness and inability of leadership in Kiev to take into account the interests of the Russian and Russian-speaking population.

The West supports Ukraine's suspicions. British Foreign Secretary William Hague believes that protests in eastern Ukraine were "planned and organized by Russia". The Huffington Post quoted Reuters as saying that on 14 April, US Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon said that in principle, the US does not exclude the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine. US Republican Senator John McCain demanded direct arms supplies to Ukraine. The NATO Council approved a package of measures to strengthen the security of the alliance's Eastern European states in connection with the crisis in Ukraine. It was decided to strengthen Baltic air patrols and send ships to the Baltic Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. There is already information about first "skirmishes" very reminiscent of Cold War era incidents. For example, the Pentagon issued a statement claiming that on 12 April a Russian Su-24 bomber flew several times near the US Navy's Donald Cook destroyer, equipped with the Aegis multi-purpose anti-aircraft missile system, in the Black Sea, simulating a combat attack. Nobody knows what exactly happened in the sea, but Pentagon spokesman Col Steven Warren displayed a very nervous reaction to this "clash". According to unconfirmed official information from some media, the crew of the American ship needed a psychologist, while 27 crew members of the destroyer submitted their resignation.

Russia was extremely concerned about CIA chief John Brennan's visit to Kiev and his meetings with the Ukrainian leadership and representatives of the military. It is claimed that the CIA chief went to Ukraine to protect the communication channels of Ukrainian security officials from Russian penetration. The Ukrainian presidential candidate Oleh Tsaryov also spoke about the possible involvement of US intelligence in the events in Ukraine, while the deposed president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych directly said it. Furthermore, in social networks and various media information periodically surfaces that there are American mercenaries in the southeast of Ukraine.

Thus, it is obvious that the Geneva provisions did not even bring the parties closer (although, of course, it is gratifying that they had the courage to sit down at the negotiating table) to resolving the problems that exist around Ukraine. After all, even in Kiev the Maydan is active again. Dissatisfied citizens keep gathering on the world famous square. Some do not like the indecision of the current authorities in suppressing the unrest in the southeast of the country. Others believe that life in Ukraine has become unbearable - food, utilities and transport rose in price.

Preparations for the presidential elections appear somewhat strange. The Ukrainian MP and presidential candidate, Oleh Tsaryov, was severely beaten and accused of treason and separatism, while another presidential candidate Mykhailo Dobkin was splashed with green paint and sprinkled with flour. The leader of the Fatherland party and presidential candidate, Yulia Tymoshenko, unilaterally postponed the election campaign and began "creating a resistance movement for Ukraine". Proposals have already been made to postpone the election from 25 May to the autumn of 2014. On 18 April, the government of Ukraine issued an order to organize discussions on changes to the constitution concerning the decentralization of power. But then, it is logical to make amendments to the Basic Law first and then choose the president, otherwise you may have issues with legitimacy. And how can you conduct a nationwide vote if some parts of the country do actually not obey the centre? On the other hand, in order to stop the country from sliding into civil war and virtual collapse, Kiev currently needs legitimate authorities recognized by all as soon as possible.

In any case, not only Ukraine needs to keep itself afloat. Russia also needs keep it afloat as it is simply hard to imagine it fighting the Ukrainian army (even in order to protect ethnic Russians living there). Moscow, despite the bravado, finds it very difficult to oppose economic sanctions and has yet to "digest" the Crimea. Europe, which is full of economic and domestic political problems and is to hold elections to the European Parliament at the end of May, also needs a stable Ukraine, and it is now clear that there will be surprises. The entire world community needs a united Ukraine. It seems needless to explain why.