In
Ukraine, US
Says Supports
Mutual
Ceasefire
Verified by
OSCE, Int'l
Probe of MH17
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
27 -- After US
Secretary of
State John
Kerry called
his Russian
counterpart
Sergey Lavrov
on July 27,
the US State
Department
issued two
read-outs, or
a readout in
two stages.
The second, an
"additional
point" by a
Senior State
Department
Official, was
that Kerry
"underlined
our support
for a mutual
cease fire
verified by
the OSCE and
reaffirmed our
strong support
for the
international
investigation
to show the
facts of MH17."
While the
second part of
the sentence
includes the
word
"international"
that Russia
pushed for in
the Malaysia
Airlines flight
MH17
investigation
resolution
adopted on
July 21, the
first part of
the sentence caused
more surprise:
a ceasefire?
While the
second
read-out
didn't say so,
did this mean
only in the
area around
the site where
MH17 went
down? We'll
have more on
this as it
develops.
The first
(part of the)
readout, by a
Senior State
Department
Official, was
that
"During
a phone call
this
afternoon,
Secretary
Kerry urged
Foreign
Minister
Lavrov to stop
the flow of
heavy weapons
and rocket and
artillery fire
from Russia
into Ukraine,
and to begin
to contribute
to
deescalating
the
conflict.
He did not
accept Foreign
Minister
Lavrov’s
denial that
heavy weapons
from Russia
were
contributing
to the
conflict.
"Secretary
Kerry provided
an update on
his meetings
in the Middle
East and Paris
this past week
and the
ongoing
efforts to
achieve a
ceasefire."
Back
on July 25 at
the UN
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq:
Inner
City Press: Is
there any UN
involvement in
trying to
bring about
this
deployment?
Does the
Secretary-General
believe that
such a
deployment
would go
through the
Security
Council?
Should go
through the
Security
Council?
Should the
consent of the
separatists be
sought to
avoid a
conflict?
What’s the
UN’s thinking
on this
deployment of
armed
individuals
into a
conflict zone?
Deputy
Spokesman Haq:
I believe that
this is an
issue that may
come up, among
the members of
the Security
Council in the
coming days,
so I’ll leave
it in their
hands.
Five
hours later
Security
Council member
Mark Lyall
Grant of the
UK said
“Its
early days,
the
negotiations
between The
Netherlands
and the
Ukrainian
government are
continuing, as
I understand
it, in Kyiv.
The
Australians
are obviously
involved as
well in terms
of negotiating
the bilateral
agreement.
When that
happens, I
think it is
quite likely
that the Dutch
government may
want to inform
the Security
Council of
that
agreement, and
I think it
also quite
likely that
the Security
Council will
want to take
note of that
agreement,
very possibly
in a
resolution. I
wouldn't
expect that to
be
controversial,
and that could
happen very
quickly after
agreements
have been
reached in
Kyiv.”
Meanwhile at
the
International
Monetary
Fund's July 24
embargoed
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
IMF
Deputy
Spokesperson
William
Murray:
Inner
City Press:
"On Ukraine,
what is the
IMF's estimate
or thoughts on
the impact of
the downing in
Malaysia
Airlines
Flight MH17 in
Eastern
Ukraine, and
its impact, if
any, on the
IMF's program?
MR.
MURRAY: You
know, we're
concerned
about conflict
in the region
and a
statement we
issued the
other day
addresses that
issue.
But
what about
MH17 and its
aftermath? The
IMF did substantively
answer
Inner City
Press' Gaza
and Israel
question, here.
Watch this
site.
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