Ukraine

[Mher]

Re: Ukraine

Armenia one of 11 countries to vote against UN Crimea vote

UN Gen Assembly adopts resolution backing Ukraine's territorial integrity

March 27, 2014 15:59

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted for a resolution submitted by Ukraine denouncing the referendum in Crimea that made the Black Sea peninsula an integral part of the Russian Federation.

One hundred UN member countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 11 voted against and 58 abstained.

As well as Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe voted against the resolution.

The resolution "affirms commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."

It also calls on UN member states “to desist and refrain from actions aimed at the partial or total disruption” of Ukraine’s national unity.

Unlike the decisions of the Security Council, the resolutions of the UN General Assembly are not legally binding, but simply express global opinion.

Russia has rejected the UN resolution as “confrontational,” Vitaly Churkin, Russian ambassador to the United Nations, said before the vote, adding that the document “undermines the referendum” and the right to self-determination of the Crimean people.

Churkin said that there were “some right things” about the document, however, as it speaks out against unilateral actions and provocative rhetoric. But he said that no UN resolution was needed to achieve those goals, as all sides simply need to start acting in the interests of the Ukrainian people.

The initiative for Crimea to reunite with Russia came from the Crimean people themselves, not from Moscow, Churkin said.

The revocation of the official status of the Russian language and threats to send militants to Crimea by the coup-imposed government in Kiev provided “the critical mass” to push the peninsula to the referendum, he said.

Envoys for the EU and the US declared their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“The European Union supports the resolution on Ukraine’s territorial integrity, which follows the UN Charter and calls for a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” said Thomas Mayr-Harting, head of the EU delegation to the UN.

In his speech, Mayr-Harting condemned what he called the violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity by Russia and its “annexation” of Crimea, saying that the referendum was “illegal” and “a clear violation of the Ukrainian constitution.”

US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said that international “borders aren’t mere suggestions.”

“Ukraine is justified in asking us not to recognize the new status quo [in Crimea], which Russia has enforced by the military,” she said.

Power urged Moscow to move from a policy of “unilateral confrontation” to diplomacy.

The 193-nation assembly also voted on the Crimea referendum, which the Ukraine resolution says contains “no validity, (and) cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea or of the City of Sevastopol."

The resolution "calls upon all states to desist and refrain from actions aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including any attempts to modify Ukraine's borders through the threat or use of force or other unlawful means."

And the resolution invites "all parties to pursue immediately the peaceful resolution" of the crisis "through direct political dialogue."

In an effort to attract votes in the General Assembly, where there appears to be little enthusiasm for allowing the situation to create an irreparable rift with Moscow, the draft made no direct mention of Russia.

"The draft resolution is not aimed at condemning any member state," said Ukraine's UN envoy Yuriy Sergeyev in a letter accompanying the draft.

On March 19, Russia voted down the Ukrainian resolution denouncing the Crimea referendum, while China said it would abstain from the vote.

Russia also vetoed a Security Council resolution that said the Crimean referendum to join Russia would have "no validity" in an emergency session held the day before Crimea headed to the polls.

On March 16, an overwhelming majority of Crimean residents voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation, following violent protests in the capital Kiev, which forced out democratically elected president Viktor Yanukovich.




lol not the best company of countries to be amongst

[Haykakan]

Re: Ukraine

UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS VOW TO TAKE REVENGE FOR MURDER OF A 'BROTHER'

YEREVAN, March 25. / ARKA /. Ukrainian nationalist group Right Sector
has announced it holds the acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov
(ethnic Armenian) accountable for the death of notorious radical
militant Aleksandr Muzychko and will avenge it, according to Ukrainian
and Russian media reports.

"We will take revenge on Arsen Avakov for the death of our brother,"
said Rovno coordinator of the Right Sector Roman Koval, as cited by
charivne.info news portal.

"The shooting of Muzychko is an assassination ordered by the minister.

Muzychko never received any notices concerning criminal offences and
was never summoned anywhere."

Earlier, Muzychko, also known as Sashko Bilyi, was proclaimed dead
after a police raid against his gang in Rovno, western Ukraine.

During the raid, Muzychko opened fire wounding an officer. He continued
shooting even despite being injured in the leg, the Interior Ministry
said.

"When the police attempted to detain him, they found out he was
wounded. The medics who arrived at the scene proclaimed Muzychko dead,"
First Deputy Interior Minister Vladimir Yevdokimov said.

The three bodyguards, who were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles
and Makarov pistols, were detained by police.

The Right Sector representatives say that the Interior Ministry's
version of Muzychko's death is an "outright lie." They claim the
notorious militant had his hands tied so he could not possibly shoot
back at the police.

The nationalist group has not specified how exactly they are going
to avenge their leader's death.

Muzychko was put on an international wanted list on suspicion of
torturing and murdering at least 20 Russian servicemen in Chechnya in
the early 2000s. He was arrested in absentia by a court in southern
Russia earlier this month.

Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a criminal case against Muzychko
who assaulted staff at a state prosecutor's office in Rovno last
month. Ukraine's interior minister Arsen Avakov earlier said Muzychko
would be punished according to the law.

Right Sector, along with Muzychko, is a major ally of the neo-Nazi
Svoboda party led by Oleh Tyahnybok, a member of the new Ukrainian
government. -0-

- See more at:

http://arka.am/en/news/politics/ukrainian_nationalists_vow_to_take_revenge_for_murder_of_a_brother/#sthash.410PypeK.dpuf

[Haykakan]

Re: Ukraine

Global Post
March 21 2014


Ukraine recalls envoy to Armenia over Crimea spat


Ukraine's interim government recalled its ambassador to Yerevan for
consultations on Friday after Armenia's president backed Russia's
annexation of Crimea, the foreign ministry said.

As well as recalling ambassador Ivan Kukhta, acting foreign minister
Andriy Deshchytsya summoned the Armenian envoy in Kiev to express his
"deep concern" at Yerevan's position, his office said in a statement.

The moves come after Armenian President Serge Sarkissian told Russian
counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call that Moscow's annexation
Crimea was a "model for the realisation of self-determination".

In the early 1990s, Armenians took up arms to establish an independent
mini-state in the Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, in a move
never recognised by the international community. (AFP)

via/dv/cc

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140321/ukraine-recalls-envoy-armenia-over-crimea-spat

[Haykakan]

Re: Ukraine

But this Ukrainian government came to power after the previous government was overthrown - making it less than completely legal

It is not clear if this government has the support of Ukrainians from all regions

It has received complete support from the US and EU but its decisions may not reflect the will of a significant number of Ukrainians

In fact quite a few mainland Ukrainians may well agree with the decision to hold a referendum in Crimea

I bet quite a few mainland Ukrainians would like to take part in a similar referendum themselves. The prospects of a fascist state in dept to IMF does not sound appealing at all.

[Artashes]

Re: Ukraine

EU offers Ukraine $15 billion, but help hinges on IMF deal
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A240V020140305

I viewed the site about one minute ago.
I saw the above post, about one minute ago.
Sorry, can't help this ...

---- hinges upon //(( IMF)))// --- DEAL ---
Does anyone out there hope their lives " hinges upon " an IMF --- DEAL ----- !!!???
--------- salvation ????? Hinges upon ????? --- A --- IMF deal???
Now that's a comforting thought.

[Mher]

Re: Ukraine

EU offers Ukraine $15 billion, but help hinges on IMF deal

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/05/us-eu-ukraine-support-idUSBREA240V020140305

[lampron]

Re: Ukraine

In response to a question whether Kiev may break off diplomatic
relations with Armenia Lubkivskyy said: "Negative consequences have a
wide range that will be applied after we receive the official position
of the Armenian side."-0-

- See more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/ukra....as27GdOj.dpuf

But this Ukrainian government came to power after the previous government was overthrown - making it less than completely legal

It is not clear if this government has the support of Ukrainians from all regions

It has received complete support from the US and EU but its decisions may not reflect the will of a significant number of Ukrainians

In fact quite a few mainland Ukrainians may well agree with the decision to hold a referendum in Crimea

[Haykakan]

Re: Ukraine

The rulers of nations have personalities and human characteristics that express themselves in the way they rule. The new government took power by force thus it will look at force as the way to solve things since it worked before. You can see the willingness to use violence in many ways but it transcends into all other aspects of rule. Here is a good example of them threatening Armenia already
UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY THREATENS WORSENING RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

YEREVAN, March 21. / ARKA /. Armenia's recognition of Moscow's
annexation of the Crimea will have negative consequences for the
Ukrainian-Armenian relations, deputy foreign minister Daniel Lubkivskyy
said in Kiev, UNIAN news agency reports.

In a telephone conversation on March 19, Armenian and Russian
presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, said the referendum
in Crimea in which about 96 percent of eligible citizens voted
to split from Ukraine, was another example of people's rights to
self-determination through free expression of will.

Lubkivskyy said Armenian ambassador to Ukraine was twice invited to
the ministry of foreign affairs to be conveyed Ukraine's concerns. He
said appropriate instructions were given also to Ukrainian embassy
in Armenia.

He said a note of protest was handed to the Armenian ambassador in
which Kiev demands clarification on Yerevan's official position. He
said official Kiev would ask Armenia to "inform officially and publicly
that it does not recognize the annexation of the Crimea."

He said if Armenia's response is interpreted as unfriendly, it would
have negative consequences for bilateral relations.

In response to a question whether Kiev may break off diplomatic
relations with Armenia Lubkivskyy said: "Negative consequences have a
wide range that will be applied after we receive the official position
of the Armenian side."-0-

- See more at:

http://arka.am/en/news/politics/ukrainian_foreign_ministry_threatens_worsening_relations_with_armenia/#sthash.as27GdOj.dpuf

[Haykakan]

Re: Ukraine

I see a possibility here of this whole situation backfiring on the west. Perhaps even to the point where the whole Ukraine ends up back in Russian sphere. Russian influence with things like common history, language, culture, families..is very strong throughout most of Ukraine minus very small parts in the west and this is why Russia will prevail in this region one way or another. USA and the west could be seeing their Stalingrad here like Hitler did in WW2. For those who do not get the reference-i am referring to major turning points in history with Stalingrad as the turning point of WW2 and Ukraine could be the turning point in the tug of war between the east and the west.

[lampron]

Re: Ukraine

Useful primer on Ukraine: http://reconsideringrussia.org/2014/...at-is-ukraine/

According to Kiev’s Research & Branding Group, almost 50% of Ukrainians have relatives in Russia. 28% have close relatives living just across the Russian border. 60% indicated that they do not regard Russia as a foreign country. As the historian Stephen F. Cohen wrote, of all the ex-Soviet states, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus “are the most intricately and intimately linked–by geography, history, language, religion, marriage, economics, energy pipelines, and security.

sounds correct

The Crimean Tatars are a Turkic Muslim people who were deported from the peninsula en masse by Joseph Stalin in 1944 to Soviet Central Asia. Only since glasnost have they been able to return. Since this time, they have formed their own parliament, the Mejlis, as a means of securing their ethnic rights.

The Crimean tatars were engaged in slave trading for hundreds of years (not mentioned)

Also significant numbers of Armenians lived in Crimea until 1475 (not mentioned)