Brussels, 28/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 28 January, Russia's President Vladimir Putin criticised European interference in the Ukrainian crisis. This criticism was made as Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle was in Kiev on 27-28 January and as High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton travelled there on Tuesday after the EU-Russia summit (see other article).
“As regards the advice and recommendations, it is the Ukrainian people who must choose. Russia is not going to take the floor and will not tell Ukraine what it must do. I am not sure that Ukraine needs an intermediary”, Putin said after the EU-Russia summit. He quoted a Russian expression that says “the more intermediaries there are, the more problems there are”. He also underlined that “while calling on [Ukraine's President Viktor] Yanukovych to act in a civilised framework, we must also think about the opposition”. In Putin's view, Ukraine is an important issue but it is out of the question to amend the agenda of the EU-Russia summit.
“We did not speak in detail about all the latest developments in Ukraine”, said European Council President Herman Van Rompuy. He stated that the objective of Füle and Ashton's trips to Ukraine is “to avoid the escalation of violence, and [to help] the return to political stability”. Questioned about the early elections that are called for by the opposition, after the prime minister resigned on 28 January, Van Rompuy said that as regards “the early elections - parliamentary and presidential - it is up to the democratic institutions of Ukraine to make the decisions - decisions that we will respect. We do not want to interfere in their business, but an end to the violence and stability are needed”.
“It's in the EU's interest, as it is in Russia's, to contribute to stability in Ukraine”, said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.
Ashton brings her trip forward. Ashton has decided to bring her trip to Kiev forward. This was initially planned for 30-31 January, and she is now travelling there after the EU-Russia summit in the evening of Tuesday 28 January. She will stay there until 29 January. Füle was in Ukraine on 27-28 January. “We are in a continuing process. My talks with the Ukrainian partners are ongoing. It is crucial that the extraordinary session (on 28 January) of the Verkhovna Rada begins to pave the way for an inclusive political process that will result in a way out of the crisis. For this reason the aspirations of the people must be the focus of all the endeavours”, Füle said between two meetings.
“The only solution to the crisis is political. The urgent issue is to have a true dialogues in order to build new consensus on the way to follow”, said Ashton in the evening of 27 January, stating that she was “deeply concerned” by the situation. “The violence must stop and the two parties must reduce the tension”, she said. She also urged the leaders of the opposition “to dissociate themselves from those who use violence”. In Kiev, she is due to meet Yanukovych and the leaders of the opposition. “The plan for the immediate future is to stabilise the situation”, said a spokesperson for the European Commission.
Resignation of prime minister. In Ukraine, the situation evolved again on 28 January. The Ukrainian Parliament, which was meeting in extraordinary session, abolished (by 361 votes to two) the laws on demonstrations adopted on 16 January. In the morning, Ukraine's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov handed in his resignation “in order to create additional conditions for a political compromise and peaceful settlement of the conflict”. “Today, the most important issue is to preserve Ukraine's unity and integrity. This is much more important than any personal ambition”, he added. “This is not victory but it's a step towards victory”, said the leader of the opposition, Vitali Klitschko. Azarov's resignation was accepted by Yanukovych. The Commission's spokesperson had underlined earlier in the day that the EU was hoping for measures to contribute to calming the situation in the country, “including by repealing the laws adopted on 16 January which have restricted fundamental freedoms, and by adopting an amnesty law, for example”. Barroso said he had taken note of this abolition. France's Minister for Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius welcomed the abolition of the laws, believing that “this positive decision, like the announcement by the prime minister of his resignation, must re-open the way for dialogue”. “Everything must be done to progress towards a political and peaceful settlement to the crisis that is shaking the country”, he concluded (our translation throughout). (CG/transl.fl)