After more than a week of tense negotiations, pro-Russian separatists in Sloviansk on May 3 freed an international group of seven military observers representing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), along with five other hostages.
These people were taken from Sloviansk to Donetsk by Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe and Vladimir Lukin, a special representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But amid of greetings and delighted comments the role of Russian envoy here remains unclear.
While Moscow hails him for being an efficient mediator, Kyiv insists that Lukin sent the order to militiamen in Sloviansk from their Russian bosses.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) released a transcript of an intercepted telephone conversation between Lukin and Igor Strelkov, head of the pro-Russian self-defense of Sloviansk. According to the SBU, Strelkov’s real name is Igor Girkin, a Russian national and colonel of Russian Military Intelligence.
“I’m in Donetsk right now, in good company… You do sort of have a general idea about the task that I’ve been given, don’t you?” Lukin said.
“Yes, I know, I’ve been warned… I have no objections for one simple reason. All this has been already discussed with me,” Strelkov answered.
According to the conversation, Lukin said that he was traveling to Sloviansk with the secretary general of the Council of Europe to be in Donetsk for a joint operation. “I had the instructions to provide assistance to you and not the European partners,” Strelkov replied to him.
Being asked during the press conference in Donetsk about his conversation with Stlrelkov, Lukin confirmed he spoke to him.
“I spoke to two or three representatives of leadership (of the separatists) and spoke solely on issues related to release of hostages,” Lukin said as was quoted by Ostrov Donetsk-based news agency. “I didn’t discuss any other issues.”
Lukin’s travel to Ukraine that started on May 2 was surrounded by rumors from the very beginning. Initially Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that Russian authorities lost connection with him on arrival to Ukraine.
But later in the day Lukin, who arrived to Donetsk on a charter flight, was reportedly seen at the residence of Ukraine’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetovm in Donetsk, according to Zerkalo Nedeli weekly newspaper wrote based on its sources. He was also seen at the football match of Shakhtar-Illichivets at Donbas Arena, a stadium also owned by Akhmetov, according to the photos shared on the Internet.
But a Kyiv Post source close to Akhmetov denied that Lukin was at Akhmetov’s house or came to the football game as Akhmetov’s guest. “He visited the football stadium alongside and on the invitation of the (Donetsk) governor Mr. (Sergiy) Taruta,” the source said.
Ukraine’s acting foreign affairs minister, Andriy Deshchytsia, wrote on twitter that he had a phone conversation with Lukin and offered assistance. Deschytsia added that Russian envoy didn’t warn Ukraine’s authorities about his visit saying he was travelling “as a private individual.”
Lukin previously traveled to Ukraine in late February to represent Russia in negotiations between ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, his political opposition and European representatives in talks to resolve the political crisis then, before the EuroMaidan Revolution overthrew Ukraine’s ex-leader. Lukin, however, left after refusing to ink the agreement on Feb. 21. Despite not endorsing the agreement, Russia is insisting that it be carried out and that it considers Yanukovych the only legitimate president of Ukraine.
Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Grytsenko can be reached at [email protected]
