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Independence day in Ukraine sees pro-Russian rally
Published: 24 August, 2009, 19:10
Edited: 29 September, 2009, 01:01
TAGS: Anniversary, Ukraine, Protest, Politics, Yushchenko
Ukraine is marking 18 years since it declared independence from the Soviet Union. President Yushchenko addressed his people while the Autonomous Crimea takes to streets to protest the holiday.
Independence day celebrations included a church service and military parade in the capital Kiev. President Viktor Yushchenko congratulated the nation and presented his “strategic plan of national revival” of the country, which includes major projects on “restoring historic truth and memory”. The top goal should be “new informative policy” in order to promote the idea of nation’s unity, underlined the President. The second key thing-to-do is constitutional reform, Yuschenko said, this will help correct current disagreements and set order in the state. The plan also includes economic rehabilitation of the country.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoschenko also congratulated the Ukrainian people with the holiday and expressed hope, that “best sons and daughters of the nation won’t fold their hands and won’t stop until indeed free, independent, happy and mighty European Ukraine emerges on beautiful Earth.”
In a telegram to his Ukrainian counterpart Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin expressed hope the two countries will soon create friendly relations again.
This comes just two weeks after President Medvedev accused Ukraine of anti-Russian policies and said Kiev won’t see Russian ambassador until “positive dynamics in bilateral relations” are set.
Polls show 80 per cent of Ukrainians disapprove of their current leadership.
Crimea
Crimea is the only autonomous republic of Ukraine. The primarily Russian-inhabited and speaking peninsula with the same name is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea. In 1783, Crimea was annexed to the Russian Empire as the result of war with the Turkish Empire. On October 18, 1921, the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as part of the Russian SFSR (Soviet Federative Socialist Republic). On February 19, 1954 Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev virtually gifted the peninsula to Ukraine. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Crimea became part of the newly independent Ukraine, a situation largely unexpected by its population, which was ethnically and culturally Russian for the most part.
But not the whole Ukraine was engaged in the festive events and some took alternative roots to mark the day. Around 700 people in the Crimea, that’s highly populated with the Russians, took to the streets of the capital Simferopol for a pro-Russian rally, shouting slogans of "With Russia, Forever", “Ukraine’s future in union with Russia” and “Ukraine – cancer on history and territory of Russia.”
Members of the rally has adopted a resolution, which states that independent Ukraine is product of Ukrainian nationalists and that it pursues policy of forced “ukrainization” of Russian people in the country and in the Crimea. The document also states, that Ukrainian government is for further Ukraine’s abruption from Russia in order to not to allow ties of brotherly Eastern-Slavic nations to be restored.
Meanwhile, Kiev is ready to ask NATO for help in countering a separatist climate in the Crimea, said Russia’s representative to the alliance, Dmitry Rogozin. This is the main reason why the “Additional Declaration on Individual Partnership” was signed between Ukraine and NATO.
“Analysis of the document shows that it was signed for one particular phrase, according to which Kiev has the right to call an urgent meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Committee in case of an ‘emerging threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine,’” Rogozin said.
The document was signed on Friday by the secretary general of the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and Ukraine’s ambassador to NATO, Igor Sagach.
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ukraine wont be divided in two parts i personly whit my brothers and sisters i know em yust outraged for soo long now already A Total Corruption You can buy a Seat in the Parlement for 2 million Dolars the mosth ppl here ar prorussian and badly informd abouth whats gowing on The war Georgia Was Slavics against slavics russians against russians Brothers against brothers Its all a Pro Nato Usa Move and i dont understand how ppl could be that'simple' wich lessons from serbs he It was that Russia was on Point of weaknes that it couldent safe the serbs more than it did it had it own problems to get arms back to russia what costed loads of cash what i dont understand is wy americans ar stil so Taking over the World Building Bases Get the Hell out of our lands We dont need you help Yesterday 4 Politicians from ukraine sayd that they were willing to Build Nuclair Weapons again Ukraine has the Technolgy it is abbel to stabilize Problem is 80 % of the Governement is Corrupt Maffia Self Helping person's 10 % including the President Is pro Usa and nato and 10 % has national Intresteses that smal 10% alone is not abel To Change allot Our last President Destroyd Our Constitution Money is not Puthen on Banks buth in Pockets Becos ppl Dont Trusth the Banks To manny scandels Of Bank Directors who puth money in there own pockets and cover it up by Buying out Politicans our current president Prommisd Like Mr G.w.Bush Radical Changes Only Change i see is that i pay now 50 % more Grivna than last year for food Becos it has the label Europa on it yes the governement can change allot Fix the Dam roads Puth cash in the Airfields we stil have Restore our Monuments Our Citys Than go Talk whit other countrys abouth Expanding your Global Intresteses Mr president were is our Pride do we Forget That we ar slavics Brothers not americans europeans we olways have been difrent wy should we Turn the way they want it i say for all my brothers and sisters i know here NO NATO
From what I have heard, many people in Ukraine joke that Yuschenko has his suitcases already packed (with cash), ready to head for the USA when everything goes bad for him. Timoschenko seems to be playing a fairly shrewd game, steering the middle ground between west and east - and will probably be the next president. If I was Timoschenko , I would try to calm the nationalist and anti-Russian talk and try to address the real issues: economy, jobs, trade, infrastructure, schools, healthcare, etc. If the people of the Crimea made a bid for separation from Ukraine (and possibly joining with Russia), I doubt that the Ukranian administration could do much to stop it. They don't have the resources and many in the Ukranian military may be unwilling to engage with Russian troops or Crimean citizens Whilst there might be harsh words from politicians of the US and other NATO or EU countries, I can't see any of them wanting to get involved (as with Georgia). At the end of the day, self-interest is paramount: EU countries want to know they will have gas in the winter.
Ukraine most certainly will not divide in two - where exactly do you propose drawing a line?? The differences between east and west - apart from a few extreme views on either side - are grossly exaggerated, What is not helpful to Ukraine is the continued malevolence of the Kremlin toward it - this will continue after Yushchenko has gone (just as interference in Georgian affairs will continue when Saakashvili departs). One thing that does worry many Ukrainians though is whether Timoshenko has been bought - like so many Ukrainian politicians - by the Kremlin. Either way, though, the country will not return to the Kuchma/Kravchuk era.