Verkhovna Rada deputy proposes to agree to joint governance of Crimea with Russia
Kyiv, July 16 (Navigator, Vladimir Raichenko) – Without transferring the dialogue with Russia from the political to the economic plane, Ukraine will not be able to resolve the painful issue of Crimea. People's Deputy Oksana Kaletnik, who recently left the parliamentary faction of the Communist Party of Ukraine, announced this at a round table in Kyiv.
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It is worth noting that of all the participants in the round table, she was almost the only one who avoided the definitions of “annexation” and “occupation.” In her opinion, the Crimean crisis had not only political, but also economic reasons, among which was the lack of real powers for the autonomy within Ukraine.
“The people who took part in the unrecognized referendum expressed their opinion not from the point of view of secession or affiliation, but came out to choose a better life for themselves,” the politician believes.
Oksana Kaletnik suggested starting from the realities that have developed today, facing the truth and recognizing that de facto Crimea is now Russian territory.
“Russian currency has been introduced on the peninsula, social payments are financed, transport routes are controlled,” the people’s deputy argued her position. “As the first deputy chairman of the budget committee, I will say that Ukraine does not finance government programs in Crimea. But is this right? If we believe that Crimea is our territory, then we are obliged to continue financing social payments, no matter how difficult these processes may be for us.”
Kaletnik also called on Ukraine to start a constructive negotiation process with Russia, but added that “without formulating our goals and preparing the tools offered to the other side, we will again go into a political discussion, which will not give any pragmatics.” Concluding her speech, she proposed discussing the possibility of creating a joint Russian-Ukrainian free zone in Crimea.
In turn, Alexander Boltyan, who previously headed the Sevastopol organization VO “Svoboda,” who spoke next, criticized Kaletnik, accusing her of involvement in the “surrender of Crimea.”
“For many years, the Party of Regions faction, together with the Communist faction, has been destroying the defense capability of our state and whipping up hysteria in Crimea, as it is now in Donbass,” said the Svoboda member.
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