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| Ukraine: roundtable in the frameworks of the national reconciliation talks (Image: TSN) |
Amid the ongoing separatist activities in Eastern Ukraine Ukrainian
officials continues its initiative of series of roundtables in the framework of
the national reconciliation dialogue. These talks are being held by Ukrainian
transitional government with the mediation of Western diplomats, including members
of OSCE, and are attended by Ukrainian authorities, politicians, diplomats,
representatives of problematic regions, businessmen, cultural and public
figures, intellectuals, clergy etc. The meetings are being held by the two
former Ukrainian Presidents – Leonid Kravchuk and Leonid Kuchma. Though there
are no representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lyhansk People’s
Republics, as their officials representatives declared that they don’t
recognize either Ukrainian government or the upcoming elections and refused to
participate in the talks. In addition to that, Ukrainian officials also stated
that they will have dialogue only with those who are ready to talks and who
will give up the arms, and that there will be no talks with the terrorists,
that’s why anti-terrorist operation, launched by Ukrainian security and Armed
Forces, is ongoing.
Thus, meeting in the framework of the national unity talks have been
already held in Kyiv and Kharkiv, and the participants have been discussing the
ways and possibilities of peaceful and democratic resolving the crisis and stabilization
of situation in Ukraine, as it is extremely important on the current stage, on
the eve of the early presidential elections, planned to be held on 25 May 2014.
These elections should bring Ukraine the legitimate, elected by people
President and will give the chance to make the further steps in order to stabilize
political, economic, social and security situation in Ukraine and continues its
path towards EU integration and deeper cooperation.
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| Ukrainain national reconciliation talks (Image: Dilovy region) |
The next round of the talks was planned to be held in Donetsk, the main
city of the restive region, but this meeting was reportedly postponed till
Thursday, as the Wednesday meeting will be held in Southern Ukrainian city of
Mykolayiv. In addition to that, Ukrainian transitional government is also
planning to hold its planned meeting in Mykolayiv as well.
Meanwhile, Ukraine receives support of international community,
including Western partners. NATO in its turn declared their readiness to start
deeper cooperation with Ukraine in the field of defense and Armed Forces. Thus,
NATO officials stated recently, during its meeting on Tuesday, attended by
Ukrainian Head of National Security and Defense Council Andriy Parubiy, that
NATO is ready to help Ukraine to increase its military and defense potential, especially
due to the situation on the Eastern border and Russian military aggression.
Thus, NATO stated that the Alliance will send military advisers to Ukraine in
the nearest future.
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| Ukrainian soldiers participating in anti-terrorist operation (Image: Business insider) |
The situation in the Eastern region though remains tense, but the
massive anti-terrorist operation, being held in the region during more than a
month, brings more and more successes, as the number of the liquidated and
arrested pro-Russian and Russian terrorist is increasing, and their support in
the region drops with every day. Thus, the leaders of the self-proclaimed
Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have called recently on people to join
their army as they have not enough fighters and most of them are foreign
mercenaries. In addition to that, local residents, previously relatively
passive, becomes more active in resisting the separatists and bandits, like it
happened, for example, in Mariupol, where the miners have been defending their
city from the terrorists several days ago, and on Tuesday the group of ordinary
unarmed women have chased the terrorists away. The strikes of the local
factories and companies with the demands to stop violence and to eliminate
terrorism become more and more often.
It’s worth mentioning also, that Eastern Ukrainian oligarch Riinat
Akhmetov, who has a great influence in this region and was accused previously
of alleged cooperation with the separatists and terrorists, as he was seen
several times with the controversial Russian politicians and members of the
People’s Republic and also didn’t do anything in order to help the
anti-terrorist operation, has made recently an official statement. In this
statement Mr. Akhmetov supported united Ukraine and expressed his position
against federalization. He demanded the violence and separatism to stop in the
region and called on the workers of his companies to start the strikes to
protest the separatist activities in the region. The first series of strikes
started on Monday and continued on Tuesday.
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| Ukrainian soldiers participating in anti-terrorist operation (Image: BBC) |
Thus, the situation in the East changed dramatically, but it still
remains tense, especially considering the fact, that Russian military troops
and technique still remain en masse along the Ukrainian border. In addition to
that official Kremlin had stated earlier, that Russian military forces are
planning to hold military training on 21-27 May on the borders with Ukraine,
with their active phase to be held on 24-25 May, the day of Ukrainian
Presidential elections. There are still serious threats that Russia may try to
disrupt Ukrainian elections. Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded
Russian side to officially explain the reasons and purpose of these training
and the numbers of the troops to participate. This request was made officially
through OSCE, using the organization’s special procedure. According to this
procedure, Russia must give an explanation during the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that he has issued a
decree to withdraw the troops from Ukrainian border and to bring them back to
the places of their usual dislocation. But neither Ukrainian side, nor NATO,
nor USA, obtaining the satellite pictures of the border region, couldn’t
confirm it. Russian military troops still remain stationed along the border
with Ukraine and they haven’t been withdrawn. NATO and US Administration both
have called on Russia to withdraw the troops, to stop destabilizing situation
in Ukraine and to respect Ukrainian territorial integrity and borders.
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| Rinat Akhmetov, Ukrainain oligarch with an influence in Eastern Ukraine (Image: Forbes) |
In addition to that Western countries along with Ukrainian officials
have called on Russia to remember its international obligations according to
the international accords, signed by Russia as well and guaranteeing Ukraine
its territorial integrity and borders. But Russian side refused to guarantee
it, according to the statements of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who
stated in his recent interview to Bloomberg, that Russia never had any
obligations towards Ukraine and cannot guarantee its territorial integrity, He
also made it clear that in case Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be annexed by
Russia, Russia will have no obligations towards Ukraine. In addition to that he
called on Western countries to stop “interfering in Ukrainian internal affairs”
and declared that Russia demands Ukrainian federalization and refusal of
joining NATO etc. It sounded really contradictory, as Russia continues its rude
interference in Ukrainian internal affairs, not mentioning its military troops
and agents operating on the territory of Ukraine. Medvedev also added that
Russia maybe won’t recognize the results of Ukrainian upcoming presidential
elections.
Thus, situation is still tense, but Ukrainian authorities continue to do
everything possible in this situation to resolve the crisis and to ensure
holding the elections. Ukrainian High Electoral Committee in its turn has
declared recently that elections will be held and they will be considered being
legal and legitimate, even if the situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions will
not stabilize. Tensions and separatist and terrorist activities are happening
actually only in several cities of the region and are not total, and polling
stations in the region prepare for the elections.
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