January 27, 2015 (KyivPost) Eleven
months after Russia started a war against Ukraine, beginning with the seizure
of Crimea, the nation’s parliament finally decided to call a spade a spade. The
Jan.27 session of the Verkhovna Rada recognized Russia as an aggressor state
and the Kremlin-backed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic
as terrorist organizations. Ukraine wants other nations to follow suit. With
271 votes out of a 421-seat body, parliament decided to send this statement to
the United Nations, European Parliament, Parliamentary Assemby of the Council
of Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, GUAM (an economic union of Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) and other countries' parliaments, asking the
world to recognize Russian aggression against Ukraine, and its occupation and
annexation of parts of Ukrainian territory. “Ukraine remains an object of
aggression on behalf of Russia, which it conducts through support and supply of
major terrorist attacks,” the statement reads. “In less than two weeks, over 50
peaceful citizens of Ukraine were killed in Volnovakha, Donetsk and Mariupol
over the shelling and actions by terrorists supported by Russia.”
Parliament also called on for
international recognition of separatists’ republics as terrorist organization
and asked for military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and more sanctions
against Russia. “Cynicism of Kremlin aggression, which includes support of
terrorists at the state level, makes killing of innocent peaceful citizens a
daily event,” the statement said. Parliament’s speaker Volodymyr Groysman said
he will sign the address shortly.
Russia and separatists later slammed
the decision of Verkhovna Rada. “This is of course mindless and irresponsible
statement, which probably aims to block the search of compromise,” said Grigory
Karasin, deputy head of Russian Foreign Ministry. “If it’s true, than it’s
impossible to talk about any Minsk agreements,” said Vladislav Deinego,
representative of government of self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic. Ukrainian
lawmakers said that the new decision allows for additional ways of
internationals pressure on Russia.
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