Oleh Rybachuk

Joint online press conferences with leading experts from different countries on topical issues are organized within the framework of "Enhancing Knowledge and Understanding of ‘the Other Side’ by Armenians and Azerbaijani Through Alternative and First-Hand Information" project,,The project, implemented by Region Research Center (Armenia) and the Institute for Peace and Democracy (Azerbaijan) by the support of the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.   

 

 

 

-It is typical of Ukraine and the Ukrainians to avoid conflicts at the moment of maximum tension of the situation. The decision may come at the last moment and we have had such a practice at most complex historical moments of the independent Ukraine. For the first time we become witnesses of use of arms against the peaceful population by the government which in its turn sharply radicalizes the protestant sentiments. Neither the government, nor the opposition may assert that they fully control the situation. Without the interference of the external forces of our Big Neighbor the possibility of reaching a compromise remains realistic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Yes.

 

 

-I have already answered such a question, undoubtedly the main responsibility is on the government which plays up to a foreign scenario.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-In contrast with Moscow, the words and actions of which are not interconnected, the West makes decisions exclusively based on lawfulness. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t call it passiveness. The State Department of the USA has already announced and introduced sanctions against a couple of officials, at yesterday’s briefing of the government of Ukraine on the situation in maidan European ambassadors made a public demarche. I may assert that the EU for which it is more difficult to make decisions, is also technically and politically prepared to support sanctions against Ukrainian governmental officials, the majority of which possesses residences and offices and keep considerable financial resources just in the banking system of the EU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Yanukovich has so far been demonstrating complete ignorance of the situation, obstinately refuses to fulfill the demands of protesters, none of the officials in fault for the bloodshed has borne responsibility or even been suspended from duty. In compliance with the Ukrainian legislation the decision of preterm presidential elections under current circumstances may be made only by Yanukovich himself. Millions of peaceful demonstrations did not affect the preparedness of Yanukovich for a dialogue, neither did yesterday’s deaths of peaceful protesters but at the moment a precautionary strike is announced all through the country, mobilization of civilians, all-Ukrainian movement of civil resistance, tough sanctions on the part of international community. Possibly, all this put together will push our president out of dormancy.

 

 

-Bankovaya street (Kiev) and Smolenskaya square (Moscow).

 

 

 

-Undoubtedly, the limit of trust is exhausted, but most Ukrainians are conscious to the fact that there is no alternative to dialogue. For this very reason the negotiations between the president and the leaders of opposition are still going on. At the same time the protesters are full of determination to stand their ground up to the end until those to blame for the bloodshed are suspended from duty and punished and the laws on dictatorship of 16 January are repealed. The demands for preterm presidential and parliamentary elections sound more and more binding.

 

 

 

 

-Yesterday the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense officially answered that the army will not rise against the protesters, but our Commander-in-Chief is not the minister of defense but the president of the country and some photos appeared on the internet on which heavy machinery, particularly tanks, are moving towards Kiev. Along with this I will mention that in the practice of independent Ukraine there hasn’t been a single case of involvement of the army into “political settlements.”

 

 

-Good afternoon, dear friends! I welcome this opportunity to get in touch with you. I will try answer all your questions. It is the confrontation scenario itself that aims at weakening the government of Ukraine and actually split of the country. It should be noted that such a scenario is advantageous neither for the government, in the person of president Yanukovich, nor moreover the opposition. This is why consultations are carried out during these two days between the president and the leaders of opposition. Without any significant results so far.

 

 

 

-I have already answered such a question and I can repeat: the scenario of conflict development and unleashing civil war is written neither in Ukraine nor the EU.

 

 

 

 

 

-Ignorance of many days’ peaceful protests of Ukrainians by the government has undoubtedly heated the situation, the government openly triggers such a scenario letting the supporters of the ruling party carry out constant meetings beside Verxovnaia Rada and Cabinet of Ministers, obstructing the way of opposition. There hasn’t been noticed anybody carrying nationalistic symbolics among protesters but there is an indication of activation of the so called “right sector” consisting in football ультрас as well. In many countries football  ультрас, as a rule, act from highly nationalistic positions. I would like to emphasize once again that the obstinate unwillingness of the government to respond to the peaceful protests and the unreasonable ruthlessness towards the protesters makes the situation increasingly explosive.

 

 

 

-I have already written about it here, I will repeat myself saying that the most odious representatives of Ukrainian special subdivisions, particularly Crimean Berkut, closely interact, get trained, study together with Russian Alfa. There are numerous representatives of Russian special services in the management of the Ukrainian security forces. Provision of 15 billion to Yanukovich by Putin sharply increased the role and influence of these “comrades.”

 

 

-Obviously, I agree. The economy of Ukraine is deeply integrated with the world economy and is unable to survive without reformation, the support of international financial institutes and improvement of the investment climate in the country itself. This is why it is very important that the coming government of Ukraine should be able not only to sign the Association with EU but also fulfill all the necessary conditions for the reformation of the economy. 

 

 

-Obviously, the scenario of the split is of Russian origin. Many Ukrainian politicians both in the government as well as in opposition understand this which gives a hope of its failure.

 

 

 

-Ukraine which formally got its independence in 1991 is actually maintaining it now.

 

 

-So far these are the secret and cherished daydreaming of Kreml and some of its vassals in Ukraine.

 

 

-The chances of regulation are remaining, the government is unable to frighten the protesters, mobilization is announced throughout the country, the attempts of the government to direct security forces and army subdivisions to Kiev are being blocked, tens of thousands Ukrainians are staying in the centre of Kiev day and night, constructing additional barricades, the events are being transmitted live to the whole world. Annulment of invitation for the prime minister of Ukraine Nikolay Azarov to deliver a speech at the international Forum in Davos, where tens of world leaders are being present, along with proclaimed sanctions against high-ranked governmental officials is a substantial argument for president Yanukovich on the part of the world community.

 

 

-European choice of Ukraine presupposes impossibility of use of arms against peaceful protesters by the government,  impossibility of ignorance of millions of protests for several months,  independence of courts, freedom of speech and press and much more that you, Aydin, are well aware of. Setting people against each other, including representatives of different nationalities, creation of zones of constant conflicts, practice of special services of USSR. Have you heard anything about CNS?