Pushkov hopes Putin's visit to France to lead to positive changes in dialogue on Ukrainian issue
MOSCOW. June 5 (Interfax) - It is hoped that contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Western leaders during the visit to Normandy will lead to positive changes in dialogue on the Ukrainian issue, Russian State Duma international affairs committee head Alexei Pushkov said.
"The significance of Vladimir Putin's trip to Normandy and of meetings and talks, which will be held there, is that, even though the crisis in political relations between Russia and Western countries continues, these meetings can be considered as a transfer from the conflict phase to the negotiating phase," Pushkov told Interfax on Thursday.
"No face-to-face meetings and personal contacts have occurred. It appears to me that it is a positive shift in the situation now that the situation existing in Ukraine and around it will be discussed during personal talks," he said.
Putin's meetings with Western leaders during the events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Allied troops arriving in Normandy will be useful, the Duma committee head said.
At the same time, it is premature to talk about a quality shift because the parties' stances on Ukraine still differ significantly, Pushkov said.
"We still hear threats on possible sanctions from Western leaders. If to talk about the stance of the United States, it virtually supports the punitive operation in eastern Ukraine and gave Kyiv a green light to suppress demonstrations. Europe is taking a more restrained and careful stance," he said.
It will be quite difficult to reach accord amid these conditions, Pushkov said.
"It appears to me that when Western leaders set a number of demands, for instance, to start cooperation with the new Ukrainian president, it is necessary to assume that cooperation is a bilateral process. And if we do not see a special desire by the Ukrainian leader to establish such cooperation, it is unlikely that Russia should return the favor," the deputy said.
To begin cooperation "Kyiv should take its part of the path but it has not even started it yet," Pushkov said.
"We see from [newly elected Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko unwillingness to stop the punitive operation, which is an obstacle for such cooperation," he said.
At the same time, Russia is still awaiting Ukrainian gas debt, which is not just Russia's demand but the European Union's too, as otherwise, gas conflicts could damage the EU interests, Pushkov said.
"Not just one but both parties are to show aspiration for cooperation, however the pressure of Western countries on Kyiv is quite limited for now. We mostly hear from the U.S. utter support for the Kyiv government policy, up to its refusal to pay for gas under the prices stipulated in 2009 contract," Pushkov said.
"The allocation of 800 million euro as a first tranche to pay for gas can be called the only positive shift, however this does not cover even a half of the 2.2 billion Ukraine is to pay Russia so that further negotiations become possible," the deputy said.
Western leaders, firstly European ones, should reconsider their stance of unilateral pressure on Russia, Pushkov said.
