Ukraine’s new government is under the influence of the radical nationalists, according to Russia’s Foreign Minister, who believes his foreign counterparts are well aware of the fact, but are unwilling to acknowledge it.
“The so-called interim government is not self-sufficient,
and, to great regret, depends upon radical nationalists, who
carried out the military coup,” Sergey Lavrov told
journalists on Saturday, when he was answering the question of
whether Russia was ready to have direct talks with the
coup-imposed government.
The Right Sector movement, consisting of several far-right
groups, was very active in the violence leading to the ouster of
President Viktor Yanukovich. After the February-21 agreement
between Yanukovich and opposition leaders was signed, the Right
Sector declared they did not recognize it and would continue the
armed struggle.
At Saturday’s press conference, Lavrov gave an example of how
exactly the Right Sector is influencing the current
decision-making in Kiev.
“The new government’s officials asked this Right Sector to
approve their choice of ministers and now the Right Sector is
dissatisfied. Its leaders say the reloading of the government
system in Ukraine has not been completed. They are demand each of
the ministers go to the Maidan protesters and report on how well
they implement the demands of the protest leaders.”
Sergey Lavrov said the group, which allegedly demanded access to
the country's arsenals, had the security situation in Kiev under
its control. The capital of Ukraine has not been safe since
ousted President Viktor Yanukovich removed all the police from
the streets in compliance with the February-21 agreement.
"Actually there’s no state control over public order and the
so-called Right Sector calls the tune, the group that has
resorted to terror and intimidation.”
Lavrov believes the West is well aware of the role the
nationalist group is playing in post-coup Ukraine.
“Our western partners, it seems to me, are quite well
informed of what they [the radicals] represent, because they are
frequent guests there [in Kiev] and among themselves they are
sharing extremely alarming impressions. But I guess for political
reasons, they try to conceal the facts in public.”
John Laughland, of Paris-based Institute of Democracy and
Cooperation, has warned of dangers of underestimating the
nationalist forces in Ukraine.
“Western media call far-right groups a minority but it’s a
decisive minority,” he told RT. “It's been clear for
some time that the men of violence exercise decisive influence.
In 2012, the EU parliament condemned the Svoboda party - and now
it's members are in the government. Europe is looking the other
way. Double standards - the whole point to bounce tUkraine into
the western camp.”
The leader of the Right Sector, Dmitry Yarosh, confirmed on
Saturday he was running for president of Ukraine and was
transforming his movement into a political party.
On Wednesday, Russia put Yarosh on an international wanted list and charged him with inciting
terrorism. Charges were put forward following Right Sector’s
posting a call for Doku Umarov, the notorious Chechen terrorist,
to attack Russia over the Ukrainian conflict.
“Ukrainians have always supported the liberation struggle of
the Chechen and other Caucasian peoples,” the post on one of
the Russian social networks said. “Now it’s the time for you
to support Ukraine. As the Right Sector leader I urge you to step
up the fight. Russia is not as strong as it seems.”
The Right Sector argues its account at the social network was
hacked and denies reports it ever demanded access to Ukrainian
arsenals.
To learn more about the Right Sector movement and its ideology,
watch RT Peter Oliver’s report from Ukraine.