What are the Geneva Agreements on Ukraine and what conditions are spelled out in the text of the Geneva Agreements of April 17, 2014?

Before considering the Geneva agreements, let us turn to the background. What are the problems that arose in Ukraine?

Prehistory

In recent years, Ukraine, like other countries in the western CIS space, has been negotiating for possible integration into Europe. The first step towards it is the signing of an economic agreement with the European Union. It was expected that its president Viktor Yanukovych will sign in November in Vilnius. But this did not happen. In response to the central square in Kiev, supporters of European integration began to gather in order to influence the government and force them to sign the agreement. Therefore, the protests on the square and received the name "Euromaydan" in the mass media.

The coup d'etat

Since January 2014, protesters, with whom the government could not cope, began to actively demand the resignation of the president. Riots intensified, clashes with the police and special forces defending public buildings took place. On February 22, the president "disappeared," later it becomes clear that he fled to Russia. Rada appointed the acting president until a new election. It should be said that all these events were accompanied by Russophobic sentiments, because Russia did not approve of Ukraine's actions on European integration. At the same time, the question of languages was raised, in the sense that to ban the Russian in the regions. It was possible to celebrate the victory and triumph. But suddenly the voice was given by the southern and eastern regions, still silent. As a result, the Crimea separated from Ukraine and immediately became part of Russia, and in the east a movement arose for federalization.

Attempt of the world community to resolve the Ukrainian crisis

The Geneva agreements on Ukraine became a response to the growing centrifugal movement in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which were joined by other eastern and southern regions. In the west, the national Ukrainian forces that were still coming to power continued to rage, and the militia began to form in the east against those who wanted to impose the will of the Maidan, who unlawfully carried out the coup d'état. In general, such events are characterized by one concept - "civil war". Under these conditions, the world community could not stay away. The Geneva agreements, as they were signed, could really resolve the conflict, but the problem was that each side understood the essence of the agreements in its own way.

Measures to reduce tension in the country

Let's turn to the original source, which sets out the Geneva agreements on Ukraine. The text signed by the four parties to the talks (Russia, the United States of America, the European Union and Ukraine) can easily be found in many sources of information.

• First, the principle of abstaining from violence by all parties to the conflict was proclaimed. Is not it too late after all that has happened?
• Secondly, there was an inadmissibility of any kind of extremism: racial, national or religious. Especially they wrote anti-Semitism. Of course, as without mentioning constantly insulted!
• Disarmament of all illegally armed groups and the release of captured buildings. Especially it should be noted that the Geneva agreements of 2014 refer to all armed groups, regardless of political orientation and timing of weapons, both in the west and in the east.
• Almost all those who have laid down their arms are promised an amnesty. The exception is only those whose guilt deserves a death penalty. Again, an interesting formulation. Who, when and by what laws will this issue of the death penalty be addressed?
• Observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and representatives of the United States and the Russian Federation will be sent to Ukraine to assist the authorities and as mediators in the negotiations.

Hopes

Ukrainian authorities immediately after signing the agreements announced the beginning of their implementation. But official Kiev interpreted the text of the agreements in its own way for some reason. The official statement of the Foreign Ministry spoke of the establishment of the situation only in the east of the country and ignored the presence of illegal armed formations in the west. Accordingly, all of the above measures applied to the Donbass and Lugansk. Having promised at first a nation-wide discussion of the revision of the foundations of the constitutional system concerning the decentralization of power, the Cabinet of Ministers soon abandoned this idea. Also, to show the government's desire for a peaceful solution to the problems that have arisen, draft amnesty laws have been drafted. How realistic were the hopes that the press trumpeted, time showed.

Failure of agreements

Already literally a week later it became clear that the Geneva agreements of April 17 were untenable. What is the reason for this? Many European media hastened to state that the problem is in the "fighters and terrorists" of the eastern regions, who do not want to lay down their arms, and also that Russia supports the armed conflict. In what exactly? In that, it does not express clearly its position regarding the desire of the eastern regions to have self-government. That is, the Geneva agreements signed by Russian representatives are not a clearly expressed position. Concerning the "extremists" in the east, we can say the following. Indeed, the leaders of Lugansk and Donetsk, who conducted negotiations with the OSCE mission observers, refused to lay down their arms. Television, radio and the press shouted about this. But nobody asked: why? Maybe because of buses traveling around the territory of Ukraine with armed supporters of the new government, helping her to establish a "constitutional" order, which they themselves first and violated? And no one raised the issue of their demilitarization. Maybe because the actions of the Maidan have convincingly proved that no laws and agreements to him at all are not a decree?

The position of Russia

Western politicians blame Russia for destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. She, they say, does not want peace for the neighboring state. Representatives of Russia, analysts and political scientists point out that a peaceful solution to the conflict is impossible without two mandatory conditions: first, the federalization of Ukraine, and secondly, the adoption of a law on languages that will give the state the status of the Russian language. These measures will be able to protect the Russian-speaking population, who does not want to obey the illegal Kiev government and become hostage to its erratic decisions.

Referendum

The political actions of any object can be legitimate and illegal. The population of the east decided to hold a referendum on the status of its territories in order to easily regulate further steps along the way to the organization of the regions. But Kiev, long before the plebiscite, declared it illegal, the facts - rigged and not related to the free will of the people. In the face of growing confrontation, the leadership of Donetsk and Lugansk regions still decided to hold a vote. On May 11, voting points were opened. Turnout was greater than in previous years' elections. The overwhelming majority voted for the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics and asked to be part of Russia. It should be noted that the plebiscite was held in the worst conditions of the military conflict, its results can be argued. Why, then, in peacetime was not allowed to hold it, but tried in every possible way to disrupt it? Since then, Ukraine has completely forgotten the Geneva agreements and found a lot of excuses for the continuation of the "antiterrorist operation." And where so many terrorists in Ukraine?

Situation for July 2014

Two weeks later, the presidential elections of Ukraine were held throughout the country. They could become a new beginning of state peace and harmony. The victory was won by Peter Poroshenko. But bloodshed was not enough that it did not stop - it took new, large-scale turns. Mass flight of civilians to Russia, tens of thousands of victims from one side and the other. In June, from the twentieth day, the formal truce in the east of the country lasted for ten days. But in early July the war continued to its full extent. Both sides talk about willingness to negotiate, but continue to shoot and kill each other. What is the Geneva agreement at the moment? This is a story, a fragile attempt to avoid victims, which has never been taken seriously enough by politicians. From the very beginning, it had too much unsaid, too many contradictions. The face of the international community has been preserved, the attempt has been made. Well, the war continues and when and how it ends - no one can say.