Kyiv, 17 March 2014 – Speaking at a press briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, leader of the UDAR Party, Vitali Klitschko said that Crimea today is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. “Ukrainian citizens today are at the mercy of foreign invaders. There is a risk of ethnic cleansing. Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians and all patriots of Ukraine are at risk”, he said. In this regard, UDAR is demanding that a law on occupied territories be passed, which would provide for ways to organize a safe evacuation and accommodation of refugees, determine the status of companies in Crimea, allow the citizens of those territories to pursue education in Ukraine, and cover other issues.
Klitschko also said that adequate steps were required from the countries that guaranteed the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine in exchange for it giving up its nuclear weapons. “Otherwise it will provide additional possibilities for other countries that are developing nuclear weapons to count on nuclear weapons as the only means of preserving their sovereignty”, he said.
According to Klitschko, the actions of Russian separatists in Crimea and in the east of Ukraine suggest that prompt and decisive steps are required to maintain peace in Ukraine.
“It is down to us to take the measures we are now asking our partners to take”, he said. According him, UDAR has called upon the Parliament and the Government of Ukraine to impose sanctions against those who supported the division of the country, which should include such measures as arrests, denial of entry to Ukraine, freezing of accounts belonging to those persons and their companies in Ukraine and seizure of their property.
Klitschko also said it was necessary to contact the governments and financial institutions of other countries with a request to freeze the accounts of a number of persons including the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of Crimea Sergiy Aksyonov, self-proclaimed speaker of the “State Rada” of Crimea Volodymyr Konstantynov and their supporters.
“After the invasion of Russian troops to Ukraine, we demand that the whole world should clearly express their position and will”, said Klitschko.
He stated that the Ukrainian Ambassador should be recalled from Russia and the Black Sea Fleet Agreement with Russia should be denounced.
Klitschko called on charities to unite their efforts in helping the people of Crimea – Ukrainian soldiers, patriots who want to stay at the peninsula and require resources, and also the refugees. “In the Parliament today, we suggested that a quarter of the salaries paid to the MP’s should be used to help patriots in Crimea”, said Klitschko.
“We should do all we can to prevent calls for separatism from spreading and ensure the territorial integrity of Ukraine”, he said.
