Kyiv, March 25th 2014, Ukraine Crisis Media Center
The balance of powers did not change much. After a long pause caused by aggression there has been established a contact on a high level.
The Foreign Ministers Deshchytsia and Lavrov met on the sidelines of the Hague Summit. It’s a positive move, but not yet a path to normalization. No normalization is possible as long as Ukrainian territory remains occupied. But it’s a path to avoid further expansion of conflict and bloodshed. We used the meeting to state clearly our position.
I hope that Mr. Lavrov will have a saying in this conflict on the Russian side – and not only Kalashnikov. We see that international pressure is growing. The world leaders have decided to end Russia’s role in the group of leading industrialized nations.
The sanctions expand. Russia’s economic outlook with the Fitch agency got downgraded. I’m sure – it’s just the beginning – unless Russian leadership comes to its senses.
Despite Russia’s efforts, we enjoy a broad support within international community of the nations. And we plan to expand it. The Russian propaganda is of global character, yet the international clearly sees what Russia is doing. We are talking not only about Ukraine, but about global security. If you want to live in peace and security, please help Ukraine.
The IMF mission is completing its work today. As I understand, the meetings they had with in Ukrainian ministries were rather satisfying. Both sides are result-oriented. This means that the reforms promised by this government are shaping more and more vividly on the horizon.
The situation on the ground remains complicated. Under Ukraine’s Security Council decision our troops based in the Crimea will be redeployed.
People in the Crimea are beaten and tortured. Russian militants abduct people. They take away Ukrainian property. This, once again, shows that international pressure on Moscow is needed now more than ever.
Another worrisome tendency – the Russian troops keep coming to Ukraine’s borders. The claim to have ended military exercises – but soldiers don’t withdraw to their headquarters.
