Presidents of the Lublin Triangle met in the Ukrainian Carpathians
20 December. Presidents of the Lublin Triangle Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Ukraine), Gitanas Nausėda (the Republic of Lithuania) and Andrzej Duda (the Republic of Poland) met in the Ukrainian Carpathians to discuss the challenges Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have been facing. As a result of this meeting, a joint statement was released. In this statement leaders called on the international community to strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation due to its ongoing aggression against Ukraine and called on the Russian Federation to deescalate the situation by withdrawing its troops from the Ukrainian borders and its temporarily occupied territories. Presidents expressed support and solidarity in relation to the migration crisis on the Lithuanian-Belarusian and Polish-Belarusian borders as well as concerns about worsening security situation. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening of the European energy security and expressed concerns about the Nord Stream 2 project. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed: “[The meeting] testified to the unity of our positions, assessments, the unity of our approaches both to the most pressing issues for our countries and to the key challenges in our region. A joint statement signed following today’s summit was a proof of such unity”.
Sources: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/zustrich-prezydenty-lyublinskyy-trykutnyk/31618003.html; https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/ukrayina-litva-j-polsha-mayut-spilni-poziciyi-ta-pidhodi-do-72193
NATO exercises to be held in Ukraine for the first time next year
21 December. NATO is expected to conduct the first cybersecurity exercise in Ukraine at the beginning of 2022. Representatives of all NATO member states will arrive to Kyiv. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna will be coordinating the event. Ms. Stefanishyna noted that this was especially important in the context of the threats that Ukraine had been facing and that Ukraine had implemented two thirds of all NATO standards. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that in 2022 Ukraine would expect to receive a clear answer from NATO about the prospects for membership in the Alliance. He noted that to achieve this goal, the government would use all opportunities.
Sources: https://news.obozrevatel.com/politics/v-sleduyuschem-godu-v-ukraine-vpervyie-provedut-ucheniya-nato-v-kabmine-raskryili-detali.htm; https://suspilne.media/191566-u-2022-roci-v-ukraini-vidbudutsa-navcanna-nato-z-kiberbezpeki-stefanisina/
New meeting of Tripartite Contact Group (TCG) provides an opportunity to “show restrained optimism” about the possible de-escalation of the situation in Donbass
22 December. A new meeting of TCG, held today, gives an opportunity to show ” restrained optimism” about the possible de-escalation of the situation in Donbass and the peace process unblocking. This was announced by Andriy Kostin – the Acting First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the TCG. At the meeting, the need for ceasefire restoration was agreed. Mr. Kostin claimed: “The Ukrainian side is completely ready for this. It is important that we see the readiness of the other side to take this step.” In addition to restoring the ceasefire, it was stated that Ukraine continued working on the release of detainees, checkpoints opening and ensuring implementation of agreements in the interests of all Ukrainians on both sides of the contact line.
Sources: https://stopcor.org/tkg-domovylasya-povernutysya-do-peremyrya-na-donbasi/; https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/shodo-zasidannya-tristoronnoyi-kontaktnoyi-grupi-72237
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine held a conversation with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
23 December. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba held a telephone conversation with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell regarding the security situation in Ukraine and Europe. Mr. Kuleba and Mr. Borrell talked about “the Russian military build-up at Ukraine’s border.” Mr. Borrell confirmed that the Russian Federation would have to implement the Minsk agreements and de-escalate situation in Ukraine. Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs in his Twitter claimed that it was agreed that decisions on security of Ukraine could be made only with the participation of Ukraine. He also added that the decisions on the European security in general could only be made with the European Union.
Sources: https://twitter.com/JosepBorrellF/status/1474142009866739712?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet; https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1474083295956717580; https://v-variant.com.ua/kuleba-provel-razghovor-s-borrelem-o-bezopasnosty-ukrayn/
Poland might build a fence on the border with Ukraine
24 December. It is likely that Poland would build a fence not only on the border with Belarus but also with Ukraine. This information was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Jarosław Kaczyński. Mr. Kaczyński claimed that “everything has entered a new phase” and explained the need for construction by the “years of concern and aggression” in Ukraine. Politician also stated: “I do not exclude that the already under construction border dam will need to be strengthened and extended to the border with Ukraine.” According to Mr. Kaczyński, currently, it is currently unknown in which direction the Russian aggression would go and which model the Russian Federation would follow.
Sources: https://www.perild.com/2021/12/24/poland-may-build-a-fence-on-the-border-with-ukraine/; https://inkorr.com/polshcha-mozhe-pobuduvaty-parkan-na-kordoni-z-ukrayinoyu-21352
