Friday, April 18, 2014

Ukraine Agreement: 'Propaganda' and Low Expectations? (Francis A. Boyle)

Francis A. Boyle is an attorney and a professor  at the University of Illinois College of Law. His books include Foundations of World Order (Duke University Press: 1999) and Tackling America’s Toughest Questions (2009).   His most recent book is United Ireland, Human Rights and International Law.  These are his remarks in response to statements by US Secretary of State John Kerry.



"Ukraine did not commit itself to constitutional reform and it was very cleverly and deviously drafted language. So no agreement upon this issue. It says nothing about Ukraine staying out of NATO; and it is not a good sign that this was not a joint [media] conference by Lavrov and Kerry.

    "Kerry’s allegations [about East Ukraine anti-Semitism] sound like propaganda to me given...all the anti-Semitic statements coming out of Kiev and the warning by the [Ukrainian Chabad Chief] Rabbi Reuven Azman of Kiev [for Jews to leave Ukraine].

    "So it does not sound to me as if Kerry is proceeding in good faith here, which is a bad sign.

    "Even if they have agreed upon what Lavrov said they agreed upon, how are they going to get the people on the ground on either side to comply?"