( CNN ) -- For the first time in months , the ever-worsening Ukraine crisis seemed to have taken a surprising turn for the better . A snap meeting in Geneva brought together the foreign ministers of Ukraine , the European Union and the United States with their Russian counterpart , despite earlier threats by the Kremlin not to participate . Even more unexpectedly for the many observers who had placed little hope in the talks , a one-page agreement emerged that outlines steps to de-escalate the situation and to prevent it from turning into open war . However , neither the very contents of the accord nor the obvious skepticism among its signatories suggest that it will effectively ease the internal and international tensions around Ukraine . Instead , this declaration is set to be an important tactical victory for Russia , the key driver of the conflict . At first glance , the Geneva agreement appears to contain the pre-requisites for a peaceful political settlement of the Ukraine crisis . All sides are called upon to refrain from violence , provocation and extremism . Armed groups are to lay down their weapons , and occupied public spaces and buildings are to be vacated . The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) is to monitor agreed de-escalation measures centrally . A constitutional process is to begin and include broad national dialogue across all Ukrainian regions and constituencies . And in parallel to these political steps , economic and financial support is to be discussed by the international community . Promising , one might think , if it was not for the fine print . The ink under the accord had barely dried when the signatory parties offered widely differing interpretations of its contents . Where Ukraine and the West directed their demands at Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine , Russia was quick to point out that pro-European protesters were to surrender , too , including the EuroMaidan . If Kiev , Brussels and Washington envisage constitutional changes strengthening de-centralization , regional and local self-government , and minority languages , Moscow renewed its call for a federalization of Ukraine , including the right of regions to their own foreign and economic policies . The financial stabilization of Ukraine , although unspecified , was clearly included to pre-empt the country 's political implosion , while Russia insisted that aid be conditional on the implementation of the de-escalation plan , and on the fulfillment of its own demands . In short , the Geneva talks have not delivered consensus , but have served , first and foremost , as a platform for Russia to reiterate its own positions . No less revealing is the fact that several key aspects of the Ukraine crisis are absent from the declaration . The Russian annexation of Crimea went unmentioned , and while merely intended by Ukraine and the West to facilitate talks , the Kremlin was quick to read this silence as an effective acknowledgement of its rule over the peninsula . Presidential elections in Ukraine , scheduled for 25 May 2014 , were not included as a crucial element of any political solution to the crisis , thus opening an avenue for Moscow to question their legitimacy . The massive concentration of Russian troops across Ukraine 's eastern borders was not addressed , which perpetuates Moscow 's military intimidation of Kiev and the threat of war . Finally , the Geneva talks failed to produce a clear timeline for the de-escalation , fundamental for Western governments to determine their own actions , including sanctions . In all these respects , the Geneva agreement has expanded Russia 's room for maneuver in Ukraine rather than limiting it . Most of all , the accord affords Russia with much-needed time . Given its failure so far to elicit strong support and momentum for separatist ambitions in Eastern Ukraine , the Kremlin has won breathing space and can now ratchet up its efforts . Faced with serious political isolation on the international stage , Moscow will likely reach out to potential , if reluctant allies , whether they be Belarus and Kazakhstan in the run-up to signature of the treaty founding the Eurasian Union , or China ahead of a visit by Putin , both scheduled for May . In turn , the threat of further Western economic sanctions has been averted , at least for the time being . With the door to negotiations seemingly remaining open , the EU will find it particularly difficult to muster political will for leveraging considerable economic pressure on Russia . Geneva has thus handed Moscow a desperately needed reprieve on a plate . This week 's four-party meeting is nothing short of a diplomatic coup for Russia . While his foreign minister was in Geneva , the Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual `` Direct Line '' to clarify his designs for Ukraine . For Putin , the East and South of Ukraine are clearly Novorossiya , or New Russia , the Tsarist term for these territories . With this narrative , Russia lays the same claim to vast parts of mainland Ukraine as it did to Crimea . And Moscow may just have made a giant leap towards expansion .
The declaration is set to be an important tactical victory for Russia , writes Forbrig . The ink on the accord had barely dried when signatory parties offered differing interpretations , he says . Forbrig : The agreement has expanded Russia 's room for maneuver rather than limiting it . It also allows Moscow to continue its military operations in Ukraine without being seen as a party to any international treaty that would require it to withdraw from Crimea and eastern Ukraine.