Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Ukrainian Parliament recognizes Russia as aggressor state



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.   
The full article is available at

0 comments: