Ignoring the interests of the Russian Federation leads Kyiv to the loss of Eastern Ukraine - Medvedev
Moscow - Kyiv, December 15 (PolitNavigator, Mikhail Stamm) - If Europe had “condescended” to discuss with Russia its association with Ukraine, there would not be a war in its east now. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev writes about this in his article for "NG", published this morning. Medvedev also made it clear to official Kyiv that continuation of the current policy is leading Ukraine to the final loss of Donbass, and perhaps the entire “Eastern Ukraine”. He suggests that Kyiv and Brussels forget about Crimea.
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In his article, Dmitry Medvedev recalls that “Russia as the largest trade and economic partner of Ukraine” has repeatedly proposed discussing in a trilateral format (Ukraine, Russia and the EU) the problems arising in connection with the Association of Ukraine with the EU. However, the head of the Russian government states, “they didn’t want to hear us.”
“We already know well what this sudden loss of hearing led to,” he further writes. – Even to the new Ukrainian authorities who replaced Yanukovych, it becomes obvious that Russia’s position cannot be ignored. Otherwise, trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the EU on issues related to the association would not have taken place in Brussels in July of this year, and in September the parties would not have agreed that some provisions of the Agreement would not be introduced until the beginning of 2016.”
“But between the refusal and the agreement to jointly discuss these problems, a chain of dramatic events lay,” Dmitry Medvedev pointedly reminds. – And now it’s impossible not to wonder: what if Europe had then “descended” to a joint – in fact, absolutely natural and necessary – discussion? Many tragedies could have been avoided. There would not be a civil war in eastern Ukraine. And hundreds of thousands of refugees would not find shelter in Russia.”
“We, of course, will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to these burning regions,” says Medvedev. “However, the Ukrainian authorities - if they really consider the eastern territories Ukrainian - should still understand that establishing life there is, first of all, their area of responsibility. How the Russian Federation took responsibility for improving the lives of people in Crimea, which returned to Russia in a referendum on March 16. This decision has been made, and we consider this topic closed.”
“Kyiv, judging by the latest steps, is not ready to take responsibility for the eastern regions,” continues Dmitry Medvedev. – I’m not so ready that Donbass and Lugansk find themselves in an economic blockade that their central authorities have declared on their own citizens. Is it really not enough that civilians are being shot at by their own compatriots? Do we also need to economically destroy people and entire regions? This is an unprecedented case. Or was the decree on the cessation of the activities of state organizations, the removal of their property and documentation, the termination of bank services to the accounts of all enterprises and the population, which deprives people of all means of subsistence, issued in the hope that hunger and poverty will make the inhabitants of the eastern regions more accommodating? Apparently, this is how Kyiv understands the process of peaceful settlement,” states the Russian Prime Minister.
“This, of course, is the most “strong” argument for Eastern Ukraine to convince it to follow the European path together with the entire country,” Medvedev sneers, making it clear that the results may be exactly the opposite.
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