“Russia’s latest show trial,” editorial, The Washington Post, March 11 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/russias-latest-show-trial/2016/03/10/44dd7 f28-e6e0-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html?postshare=1131457714720578&tid=ss_fb):
The Obama administration keeps betting that Vladimir Putin is genuinely interested in a diplomatic settlement in Ukraine. The case of Nadiya Savchenko offers powerful evidence to the contrary. …
Five European Union governments have called for sanctions against Russian officials involved in what they describe as a ‘fabricated case.’ So have 57 members of the European Parliament, who say Mr. Putin should be one of 29 people sanctioned. The United States so far has confined its response to statements by Vice President Biden and Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who both called for Ms. Savchenko’s release this week.
Those words will have no impact on Mr. Putin unless they are linked to actions. The Obama administration should expand its own sanctions on Russia to include all those involved in the detention and prosecution of Ms. Savchenko, as well as other violations of the Minsk 2 agreement. There will be no chance of a settlement in Ukraine unless the costs to Russia of its policy of sabotage and subversion are substantially raised.
“Putin’s Ukrainian Hostage,” editorial, The Wall Street Journal, March 8 (http://www.wsj.com/articles/putin-ukrainian-hostage-1457483530):
Ukrainian helicopter pilot Nadya [sic] Savchenko on Tuesday spent her fourth day without food and water in a Russian prison. The 34-year-old Iraq War veteran has been held for nearly two years in Russian captivity.
… Russian prosecutors charged Lt. Savchenko with illegal entry and directing mortar fire that they allege killed two journalists that day. Yet her cellphone location data and videos shot by her captors show that Lt. Savchenko was elsewhere, and already in captivity, when the mortar rounds were fired. Moscow has no legal jurisdiction over her.
The Russians last year suggested that they might release her to Ukrainian custody once the “trial” has concluded. The Kremlin knows that Ukrainians won’t carry out whatever sentence the Russian courts impose. More likely Moscow wants to use her as a bargaining chip in talks with Kiev.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told us in an email that Kiev is appealing to the West to “ramp up pressure” on Moscow to win her freedom. The European Union on Monday called on Russia to release Lt. Savchenko, citing the so-called Minsk II accords between Moscow and Kiev [sic]. Yet Ukrainian armed forces the same day counted more than 50 provocations from the rebel side in the east, often involving heavy-artillery fire banned under Minsk II.
In other words, the accord remains an instrument by which the West ties Kiev’s hands while Moscow continues to violate Ukrainian sovereignty with impunity. …