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Zarembo: separating civil and wartime sectors of security right now is impossible

12:08 PM 28-9-2016

Kateryna Zarembo, deputy director of the IWP presented on «Ukraine-EU: perspectives for strengthening safety cooperation» during the expert safety debates «Prism Security Debates,» which took place on the 29t of September.{2}
Kateryna Zarembo:
«Before 2014, Ukraine was a contributor to European security. From the start of aggression in 2014 on, Ukraine has also been a recipient of help, and has asked for, and endeavors to receive the help of the EU. This help has been very much appreciated by Ukrainian partners; highly professional specialists have been working in the missions and the responses from Ukrainian beneficiaries are also very positive. And the fact that the EU sent a mission into a country where there is a war is also a very positive point.

Concerning the EUAM mission, the progress in cooperation with Ukraine is great- a year after the rebirth of the mission the mandate was changed and the mission began to give not just strategic advice, but also training and operative consultations. At the same time, however, there is a lack of trust in cooperation with certain organizations. Also a point of concern is the fact that the mission works as if there is no ongoing war. Not always is there a readiness to cooperate in those spheres which might concern ATO. For example, the mission was not ready to take part in the development of antiterrorist centers throughout Ukraine. If one were to ask how the mission encourages the regulation of the conflict, they would answer that «not in any way, that’s not our mandate.»
Recommendations:
• the regional presence in Odessa Oblast’ of the EUBAM mission or the regional office of EUAM must be kept.
• the EUAM Ukraine mission should not distance itself from the war and rely on the artificial seperation of civil and military sectors of safety. Separating them at the moment is unrealistic.
• Speaking about the EU overall, then the key instrument is sanctions, and they must not be the subject of trade.

Watch the debates here.

The Foreign Policy Council «Ukrainian prism», representatives of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian National Platform of Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum acted as organizers of this event..