Kyiv, 11 – 12 February 2014
Criminal cases against officials charged with Maidan crackdown on 30 November are closed. General Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Kyiv’s district courts closed criminal cases against Oleksandr Popov, former head of Kyiv city administration, and Volodymyr Sivkovych, deputy chairman of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, who were previously charged with ordering Maidan crackdown on 30 November. These decisions were taken in line with the amnesty law passed by the Parliament, the General Prosecutor’s Office added.
“Pravyi Sector” warned on possible terroristic acts prepared by Russian security service and Ukrainian police. Dmytro Yarosh, head of “Pravyi Sector”, a far right wing of the protest movement, warned on possible terroristic acts prepared by Russian security service and Ukrainian police. These attacks would aim at discrediting “Pravyi Sector” and other EuroMaidan paramilitary units, as well as spreading panic, increasing separatist tendencies and widening the basis for repressions, Yarosh emphasized.
PoR MP assumed President to propose a PM candidate next week. Yuriy Miroshnychenko, President’s representative at the Verkhovna Rada and the Party of the Region (PoR) MP, assumed that President Yanukovych would propose a candidate of the new Prime Minister next week.
Acting minister of justice: special security regime in Kyiv doesn’t change citizens’ legal status. Commenting on information about special security regime introduced in Kyiv by the government, Olena Lukash, acting minister of justice, stressed that the regime does not change legal status of the citizens. It was taken to ensure security of administrative buildings only, the acting minister noted.
UDAR called Ukrainians for one-hour warning strike on 13 February. UDAR caller Ukrainians to join one-hour warning strike to be started at 12:00 p.m. on 13 February. During the strike time people should remain at their workplace but do not perform their duties, Yuriy Krykunov, head of Kyiv strike committee, said, adding that this would not lead to peoples’ dismissal as they would not breach any law.
Tymoshenko calls Yanukovych for public debate. Yulia Tymoshenko calls President Yanukovych for public debate on the current situation in Ukraine. She noted that the debate could be organized through video conference without any conditions from her side. Previously President Yanukovych called Vitaliy Klitchko for TV debate which the opposition leader accepted provided Yanukovych’s resignation.
Barroso: introduction of EU sanctions would be a mistake at the moment. In his interview to Reuters, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, said that introduction of EU sanctions at the current stage would be a mistake. The priority is to stabilize the situation, to avoid violence and to launch serious dialogue between government and opposition, Barroso underlined, adding that any other moves may be counterproductive. According to the Commission’s President, Europe should assist in establishing necessary conditions for legitimate transitional political process or in implementing a legitimate decision paying the way out of the crisis. He also had personally warned President Yanukovych on negative outcomes of further crisis deterioration, Barroso stressed.
Opposition leaders and Štefan Füle discussed crisis resolution. Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and ENP, met opposition leaders to discuss their visions of the ways out of the crisis before he meets President Yanukovych. Following the meeting, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, head of Batkivshchyna faction, said that Europe is ready to support Ukraine given Yanukovych’s readiness to make necessary decisions. The Council adopted its conclusions on Ukraine, Yatsenyuk recalled, adding that the document proposed political and economic measures to resolve the crisis. The political package includes constitutional reform, new government and a new action plan which would be backed by financial aid from the EU and international organizations, Yatsenyuk underlined, adding that the crisis resolution depends on Yanukovych’s understanding of the threats Ukraine is faced by.
Ashton: EU uses both pressure and support in dealing with Ukrainian crisis. Speaking at the EP foreign affairs committee, Catherine Ashton, EU HR/VP, noted that Brussels uses both pressure and support in dealing with Ukrainian crisis. We have different options available and may use any of them, the EU’s chief diplomat stressed, adding that Brussels wants to use positive steps as much as possible. She also underlined EU’s concern on the crisis, expressing her hope that the Ukrainian authorities are aware of EU’s ability to apply negative measures as well.
US suspects Russia of being involved in leaking US diplomats’ private talk. Speaking at the US Senate, James R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence at the US government, said that Washington suspects Russia of being involved in wiretapping and leaking of private talks between Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State, and Geoffrey Pyatt, the US ambassador to Ukraine. Clapper, moreover, did not rule out that Russia spies US diplomats.
Kozhara: authorities do not consider violent scenarios of crisis settlement. Interfax-Ukraina quotes Leonid Kozhara, Ukraine’s acting foreign minister, saying that authorities do not consider violent scenarios of the crisis settlement and hope the opponents share the same approach. President Yanukovych and the government demonstrate their openness to the crisis resolution, despite extremist acts and slogans, the acting minister underlined. He, moreover, called on opposition to dissociate themselves from the extremist groups. Kozhara also expressed his hope that a way out of the crisis would be found in a dialogue between authorities and opposition.
Russian diplomat: Ukraine de facto moves to a federation. Andrey Vorobyov, a Russian diplomat, believes that Ukraine de facto moves to its federalization. Some regions have already established parallel authorities, the diplomat said, adding that this tendency would be further maintained despite the country’s formal status written in the Constitution.
Regional paramilitary group asked Putin for military intervention in Ukraine. A Luhansk-based group of Don Cossacks, a paramilitary oragisation, asked Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, for military intervention in Ukraine given the crisis deterioration. The opposition provokes civil war by saying about their intentions to ask NATO for help, the paramilitary group stressed, calling on Putin to not allow “western Herod” to swallow orthodox Ukraine.
