Ukraine crisis debate: Has Europe become a 'war machine'?

Opinion by Mass Mboup

On Tuesday (4 November) at the Brussels Press Club, EU Reporter held a debate focused on the situation in Ukraine after the elections on Sunday (2 November), which unsurprisingly elected the rebel pro-Russian grouped in the east. The initiator of the meeting was EU Reporter owner and publisher Colin Stevens, who also moderated the debate. This event was an opportunity, especially for representatives of the Ukraine media, to interact with a panel of international independent observers, who brought their own stories after following the electoral process in Ukraine.

Three Ukraine specialists of different profiles but similar commitment and passion delivered their accounts for an hour in an exercise that was not always comfortable, to offer other means of interpreting the events concerning the controversial poll results, which have been condemmned as "illegal and illegitimate" by the European Union and United States.

Jean-Luc Schaffhauser (pictured) (MEP and president of the European Academy), Eric Lauffenburger (CEO of Emergency Children of Ukraine association) and Alessandro Mussolino (Italian political scientist) have been involved in the situation since the outset. According to them, the election on 2 November was conducted in a "transparent and broadly fair manner". But beyond a simple observation based on the dramatic experiences they witnessed during their stay (bombed schools, massacred civilians) it is mostly the "bad practices" used by Europe in the management of the Ukrainian crisis that was criticized. For Schafhausser, who claims to be in a minority position in the European Parliament, it is a question of "letting the people vote differently". Expressing himself as being very pessimistic, he said: "Europe is constantly initiating processes that can only lead to war," and he warned: "If you demonize your opponent, then you're not in a peace process."

Peace is also a major concern for Eric Lauffenburger. The humanitarian worker has built up his experience traveling the world, has been present in many conflict zones and other areas of tension, and he does not mince his words. "What is happening on the ground is more or less ethnic cleansing," he said. "In Dombass, the situation is simply terrifying, because it is not only infrastructure and public buildings that are concerned, it's also affecting innocent civilians, most of whom are children." He denounced the indifference that he believes characterizes the EU's approach. Turning to the ceasefire that was achieved in September after months of fighting in the east, Laufffenburger expressed little confidence about the scope and effectiveness of such an agreement, which has certainly contributed to the decline in the intensity of the fighting but, alas, did not stop hundreds of people being killed. Speaking of the unwillingness of Kiev to negotiate with the local population, he concluded: "If we want peace, we need a power in the east engaged in a genuine peace process. And Alessandro Mussolino placed himself firmly in the context of the search for solutions that are able to promote lasting peace throughout Ukraine.

The public then had the opportunity to speak on various points, to challenge the panelists. Anastasia Vorontsova (EU-Ukraine Business Council) said that "the ideas expressed by Schafhausser, however respectable they may be, will have no impact on the policy of the European Union towards Ukraine". This view was also widely covered in the discussions, probably because of the presence of many pro-Europeans around the table.

Most questions focused on the agreements in Minsk on 5 September between Kiev and the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine. These were obtained through many concessions on both sides, but their survival now seems increasingly problematic, especially as the rebel leaders, who are now calling for a independent status, consider themselves no longer bound by the laws of Ukraine. This position is deemed "extremist" in Kiev because it is thought likley to pave the way for further periods of uncertainty, which would undermine all the gains and in particular "the unity of Ukraine" which is one of the focal points of the international community, Europe and the United States.

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