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| Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during the EU meeting in Brussels (Image: Kyiv Post) |
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has met with European officials during
his visit to Brussels where the EU Summit was held on Saturday, 30 August. Mr.
Poroshenko has discussed the deepening crisis and escalation of the Russian
military aggression in Eastern Ukrainian Donbas region and called on European
leaders to support Ukraine and to help it not only morally but also with the
real and effective support, as Ukraine is actually defending not only its own
borders now, but the borders of Europe, and the threat of the Russian military
aggression and occupation is high for many European countries, Mr. Poroshenko
declared in his speech.
Ukrainian authorities in their turn don’t see the
military solution of the Donbas crisis, according to the words of Ukrainian
President, so the hopes for the peaceful solution and implementation of the
Poroshenko’s “peaceful plan” are still high.
European countries have supported Ukraine and took a decision to impose
the new package of the sanctions against Russia and to send Ukraine aid and
help, with the exception of Hungary, Cyprus, Czech Republic and Slovakia, as
the representatives of these countries voiced against the new sanctions.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her turn has supported the issue of
the new sanctions but she stressed the importance of the serious work with the
sanctions’ list, as these new sanctions should affect the new sectors of
Russian economy and shouldn’t be the same as the previous restrictions, stated
Mrs. Merkel. She is also reluctant regarding the military assistance for
Ukraine, as this move of the European countries would demonstrate that this
conflict should be resolved militarily, according to the German Chancellor.
French and British governments have also supported the idea of the new
sanctions and deepening the economical, political and diplomatic pressure on
Russia in case it will not deescalate, but France will also not send any
military help to Ukraine, as the French officials also believe this conflict
should be resolved peacefully.
Thus, EU officials took a decision to take a week to consider the issue
of the new sanctions against Russia. In addition to that Ukraine will also
receive financial aid from EU countries. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
has stated that EU will send Ukraine $ 1 Billion of the financial aid and also
250 Million Euro of economic support. Ukraine will also receive military and
technical help and assistance including military equipment and non-lethal
weapons from the European countries as well, according to the statement of
Ukrainian President after the meeting in Brussels.
During his visit to Brussels Petro Poroshenko also emphasized the
importance of the resuming and deepening of cooperation between Ukraine and
NATO. This issue is really extremely importance for Ukraine, for its state
security and the further implementation of the new reforms. It’s worth
mentioning also that Ukrainian government has initiated the draft bill
regarding the ending of Ukrainian non-bloc status and further work for
cooperation with NATO. NATO’s Head Anders Fogh Rasmussen in his turn has
declared recently that Ukraine has all the chances to join NATO in the future.
Ukrainian ex-Prime Minister and candidate for the President Yulia Tymoshenko
has stressed the importance of the joining NATO and proposed to hold National
Referendum regarding Ukraine in NATO. Such a Referendum could be held together
with the early parliamentary elections, on 26 October, stated Mrs. Tymoshenko.
Meanwhile, situation in the zone of the anti-terrorist operation remains
tense and very dangerous, as pro-Russian terrorists and Russian regular troops
are controlling several cities in the neighborhood on Novoazovsk, Illowaysk and
other cities as well. Ukrainian soldiers remain surrounded by the Russians and
terrorists in Illowaysk and they received ultimatum to out the arms down, but
Ukrainian soldiers refused. Russian president Putin has called on the
terrorists and his soldiers earlier to organize the “humanitarian corridor” in
order to evacuate Ukrainian soldiers and their wounded from this zone, but the
huge column of Ukrainian soldiers was attacked by the Russians while trying to
leave the zone using this corridor. Ukrainian troops were simply shelled and
shot by the tanks and mortars, leaving hundreds dead and injured, according to
the correspondents. Hundreds of soldiers were probably taken captive by
Russians, anyway, their fate remains unknown, as the officials press-service of
the ATO didn’t confirm the information about hundreds of dead.
Ministry of Defense in its turn has taken a decision to close all the
information regarding the operation of rescuing Ukrainian soldiers in Illowaysk
for security of the soldiers. They claim the information will be available once
the soldiers will be rescued and evacuated. Though several units and brigades
of Ukrainian soldiers have managed to break out of the surrounded territory
controlled by the Russians and Russian terrorists.
Meanwhile, the special operation is currently ongoing.
Though the situation deteriorated significantly as there were reports
about the plans of Russian army to advance towards Mariupol, which lies on the
shore of the Azov Sea. Russian troops have also entered Donetsk, according to
the reports of journalists, including Russian reporters, and now the city is
under control of Russian army and local terrorists.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko though stated earlier on Sunday
that he expects that the situation will deescalate at the beginning of this
week, and that the military confrontation on Donbas region could be finished by
the beginning of September. Mr. Poroshenko claimed that he hopes for some
progress during the upcoming negotiations set to be held next week.
Russian President Putin in his turn has called
on Ukrainian government to sit at the negotiation table with the so called “separatists”
and discuss the new status of the Southern-Eastern region of Ukraine and its “statehood”.
Thus, despite the hopes of Ukrainian officials for de-escalation and the
achievements of the upcoming talks, the situation is still very difficult and
tense.
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