[Peace-discuss] FW: US New Stage of Arms to Kiev Seeks to Balance Conflict, Endangers Minsk Accords - Sputnik International

[Boyle, Francis A]

Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
504 E. Pennsylvania Ave.
Champaign IL 61820 USA
217-333-7954 (phone)
217-244-1478 (fax)
(personal comments only)


-----Original Message-----
From: Boyle, Francis A 
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2017 7:57 AM
To: sectns.aals at lists.aals.org
Subject: US New Stage of Arms to Kiev Seeks to Balance Conflict, Endangers Minsk Accords - Sputnik International

https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201708021056097873-usa-kiev-arms-endanger-minsk-deal/
UNDERMINING MINSK

University of Illinois Professor of International Law Francis Boyle told Sputnik that the consequences of sending such weapons to Ukraine would be highly negative.

"Lethal weapons are lethal weapons whether you call them offensive or defensive. In the context of Ukraine the distinction is meaningless," he said.

Boyle also warned that such a decision could derail moves by Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to deescalate the Ukraine crisis.

"Obviously [US policymakers] understand that the provision of these lethal weapons could very well sabotage the new Trump-Putin Initiative to resolve the Ukrainian Civil War on the basis Minsk Agreements, which is the only realistic way to resolve it," he noted.

The Minsk Agreements remained the essential and irreplaceable legal and diplomatic framework for restoring peace to Ukraine since the existing state had been toppled in a US-backed coup against legal incumbent President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, Boyle pointed out.

"Technically Ukraine disintegrated as a state as a direct result of the CIA-sponsored coup against the democratically elected Yanukovych government. Minsk is the only road map to put the Ukrainian Humpty-Dumpty back together again," he explained

According to the newspaper, US officials want to make the weapons delivery continent on them being deployed away from the front line in the war-torn Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.