You're reading: New EU foreign policy chief Mogherini, known for her pro-Putin sympathies, to visit Ukraine in new role

Federica Mogherini, the high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will visit Kyiv on Dec. 16-17 amid skepticism over her soft stance on sanctions against Russia in her previous role as Italy's foreign minister.

In her new role, Mogherini must carry out the foreign policy of the 28-nation EU, but her cordial visits to Putin after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the start of the Kremin-backed separatist war against Ukraine, are upsetting to many Ukrainians and others in the West who view opposition to sanctions as appeasement of Putin.

Mogherini’s visit comes amid faltering peace talks over ending Russia’s war and Ukraine’s expectations for additional financial support from the EU. If there’s any new impetus for peace talks, it might lie in Russia’s faltering economy — amid tumbling prices for its chief exports, oil and gas — and the desire of some in Europe to forget and forgive Russia’s transgressions.

Mogherini almost didn’t get her job because of her pro-Kremlin sentiments. Her spokesperson, Catherine Ray, is married to lead lobbyist of Russian energy monopolist Gazprom company.  Several EU member states blocked her first nomination as EU foreign policy chief, and a vehement Russian critic Lithuania President Dalia Grybauskaite openly called her “pro-Kremlin.”

Some observers fear that Mogherini could be biased by her good relations with Moscow, while others say she could use her personal diplomacy to restart a dialogue with Kremlin and find ways to resolve conflict eastern in Ukraine.

“I will be very involved in Ukraine,” Mogherini said in interview with the Guardian in November.

The experts say her ties with Russia will not directly influence her official actions, strictly regulated by general policy of the EU. “She doesn’t have such scope of responsibilities and such freedom,” said Oleksiy Melnyk, head of foreign affairs at Razumkov Center.

But just like her predecessor Catherine Ashton, Mogerini might serve as a mediator in slow moving peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian leadership. The Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists announced a new truce last week, which brought to decrease in number of causalities but not to a total ceasefire.

“It looks like all the sides are now confused in their peace negotiations and nobody understands how to resolve the situation,” said Svitlana Taran, economic and foreign policy expert for New Ukraine think tank.

Mogerini said in Brussels on Dec. 15 that she was planning to meet in Kyiv with President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, some other government members, lawmakers and representatives of civil society.

David Stulik, spokesperson of the EU delegation in Ukraine, said she was going to discuss technical assistance of the EU in Ukrainian reforms “either covering them financially, and also providing the expertise.” He added that the direct financial help of the EU also could be on the agenda.

“I think the aim of this visit would be to see the situation on the spot after the elections, after forming of new government, to define the common steps in implementing of the Association Agreement,” Vsevolod Chentsov, head of the Department for European Union at Foreign Affairs Ministry told the Kyiv Post.

Chentsov added the talks might also include the continuing sanctions against Russia, financial help of the EU, and also preparations to Support Ukraine Conference, major donor and investment meeting scheduled for late February-early March.

Early in 2014, the EU has approved the 11 billion euro package of help for the Ukraine’s economy. Ukraine has also applied for additional 2 billion euros in October, Reuters reported based on its sources in European Commission.

Chentsov confirmed the Kyiv Post that Ukraine applied to the EU for new tranche of micro financial help, not elaborating the details.   

Mogherini’s visit will follow the first inaugural meeting of Association Council between the EU and Ukraine, the body which is going to be the highest level joint political institution. Lawmaker Ostap Semerak, participant of the meeting, said the Association Council was going to form its committee and also sub-committees on economy and on freedom and justice.

The Association Committee is going to regularly meet in Brussels and work on implementation of Association Agreement. This body can also make amendments into the appendixes to Association Agreement. “These appendixes define the standards, regulations, directions with which Ukraine has to align its legislation,” Taran said.

Ukraine and the EU simultaneously ratified the Association Agreement on Sept. 16, the political part of which was implemented on Nov. 1. But implementation of its trade part was extended to the beginning of January 2016 under pressure from Moscow.

Russia has consistently pressured both Ukraine and Europe with demands to refuse from association and threatening by economic consequences otherwise. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Medvedev wrote in his article in Russian Nazavisimaya Gazeta on Dec. 15 that Ukraine is going to lose $33 million every year if the agreement gets fully implemented.

Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Grytsenko can be reached at[email protected]