"Peace talks in the interest of all"

DW: The Minsk peace talks under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have fallen through. What do you think will be the next step?

Elmar Brok: I hope that this is simply a brief hiatus. If Russia wants the sanctions lifted, its only way forward is compliance with the Minsk agreement. Yet, on the face of it there was no progress so far, apart from a deal on prisoner swaps.

What is your assessment of this exchange of prisoners between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region?

This is an important step forward in a humanitarian issue. In this regard, the Minsk agreement in September was a success. However, this is the only issue which really worked in the months that followed, as the ceasefire that was agreed upon at the time never materialized. I believe that this is the most important issue to begin with: How can the fighting be straightened out in a way where neither side attempts to gain more territory?

Did the fact that Ukraine made a move towards NATO membership lead to the cancellation of the talks?

I don't believe this - I hope it didn't. After all, merely its neutral "non-aligned" status was dropped by parliament. This status was introduced only four years ago by former President Yanukovych - Ukraine did not have anything like this before. Current President Petro Poroshenko has said that seven years from now he wants to hold a referendum on this issue. That means it is effectively not on the agenda at the moment.

The most recent development is the new military doctrine adopted in Russia and approved by President Vladimir Putin which states that the biggest external threat to Russian security is NATO's eastward expansion. What is your view of this doctrine?

Firstly, this is not an actual concern. Ukraine's accession to NATO was rejected in 2008, by Germany and France among others. Secondly, the must be an easy way for Ukraine to reach a deal with Russia and refrains from joining NATO if Russia complies with the Minsk agreement, sees to that the pro-Russian forces do so as well and if international law is restored. I don't think our first priority should be to integrate Ukraine into NATO.

Which role is left for the OSCE at this point?

I think the OSCE plays a very effective role because all parties involved, including Russia, are OSCE members. The OSCE is an organization that provides the legal framework - and has the required facilities - to make observations and guarantee security, so that a peaceful compromise can be achieved on the basis of negotiations. This is, after all, the principal aim of the Helsinki Final Act, which forms the basis of the OSCE: to resolve conflicts - and there will always be conflicts between nations - peacefully in Europe. It is my hope that the OSCE, currently led prudently by Switzerland, will succeed in creating the appropriate negotiating level.

Do you think this is what will happen in Minsk during the coming days?

I don't know, but I hope so. It would certainly be in the interest of all the parties involved. I hope participants have the wisdom to continue with these talks, in order to avoid an extension of the conflict. First and foremost, they should be mindful - especially now in wintertime - of the people who are living in refugee camps and in the crisis region itself. Out of consideration for these people participants should see fit to reach an agreement.

Elmar Brok is chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. He has frequently travelled to Kyiv in order to mediate in the Ukraine crisis.