Last year, on October 6, 2019, more than 10,000 demonstrators gathered on Kyiv’s Independence Square to protest the Zelenskyy administration’s reassurances that it would not yield on fundamental issues related to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Many in Kyiv saw the Ukrainian government’s “capitulation” to Russia in its acceptance of the controversial “Steinmeier formula” that was proposed by Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The demonstration was the largest public protest since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Protests were held in numerous cities across Ukraine, with several city and oblast councils officially opposing the Steinmeier formula.
In some instances, demonstrators became violent, with a number of scuffles breaking out. At a press conference on October 10, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that part of the reason for the current situation was shortcomings on his administration’s side in communicating about what was happening and really at stake to the population. He also deflected the situation by claiming that his political opponents were spreading confusion and fear for political purposes.
President Petro Poroshenko had accepted the Steinmeier formula in 2016, and the vagueness of the proposal was the most upsetting to demonstrators, which they feared Moscow would use to create further destabilization in Ukraine.
It was hoped the Steinmeier formula would break the deadlock that was created by the Minsk agreement process, which had stalled. Following a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, Moscow suddenly made the acceptance of the Steinmeier formula a prerequisite for a new summit within the Normandy format of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia, and the new summit was in jeopardy of never happening or being postponed indefinitely.
The Zelenskyy administration agreed on October 1 to pull back from the so-called contact line in Zolote and Petrivske, and the process began in June at Stanytsia Luhanska, where a damaged bridge could be repaired.
Mr. Steinmeier explained his intentions with the formula on October 7 in Tbilisi: “The formula contained nothing more than attempting to turn the big steps into smaller steps that would be negotiated as to their contents and sequence.” He rejected suggestions that his plan had been inspired by “Russian influence.”
Ukraine had not seen any serious signs of commitment by the Russia-backed militants in the Russia-occupied Donbas or from Moscow that would warrant a good-faith effort toward a lasting ceasefire. Many observers noted that Moscow was stalling yet again by dangling the prospect of a new meeting of the Normandy Four.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov underscored Moscow’s position that Russia is not a party to the conflict, adding: “The Kremlin certainly has some influence [for the disengagement of troops at the contact line in the Donbas],” but reiterated that “republics of the Donbas” in this case are “independent subjects of the settlement of this conflict.”
Following an October 8 meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Alyaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus, Mr. Lukashenka said that Russia and Ukraine were the main sides in the Donbas war, and he stressed that the conflict could not be resolved without the participation of the United States. Mr. Lukashenka also blamed Europe for not doing enough to help Mr. Zelenskyy and Ukraine to resolve the war.
Mr. Zelenskyy added that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had expressed surprise that Mr. Poroshenko, who while president, had worked with her in searching for a peaceful solution, was now condemning what had been done. Mr. Zelenskyy said he would work to better inform the public and eliminate confusion and concerns, but warned that some individuals were deliberately fostering division for political purposes rather than promoting understanding and unity around the cause of peace.
Russia continues to create roadblocks to allow international meetings to occur that aim to resolve the conflict, including the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Since the war in the Donbas began in 2014, Russia has continued to prevent the OSCE from carrying out its mandated observation duties and its Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Source: “As protests against Kyiv’s ‘capitulation’ occur nationwide, Zelenskyy offers reassurances about Steinmeier formula,” by Bohdan Nahaylo, The Ukrainian Weekly, October 13, 2019.