‘Ukraine situation depends on its people’s patience, not on Russia’ – Putin
President Vladimir Putin has said that the further development of the Ukrainian crisis depended on the patience of the Ukrainian people, who might one day decide to end the “bacchanalia” performed by the Kiev regime.
“This does not depend on us, this depends on Ukraine itself and on the Ukrainian people – on how long the Ukrainian people will be able to put up with this bacchanalia,” Putin said when asked by reporters if he had an opinion on future development of the events in Ukraine.
Putin added that in his view the Ukrainian people had reason to be discontent.
“I consider it an insult to the Ukrainian people that their country has been put under foreign management – all key positions in the government and now in regional administrations are now occupied by foreigners. Is it possible that Ukraine is lacking civilized and honest people and qualified managers? I think there are such people in this country.”
At the same time the president expressed confidence that eventually Ukraine will overcome the current political and economic crisis.
“I am sure that despite all difficulties of the current period the situation in Ukraine will also become normal and Ukraine will develop in a positive direction and move away from this disgraceful practice when a huge European country is being put under external management,” he said, adding that one day the Ukrainian people will give a due estimation to the current state of events.
READ MORE: Russia accepted over 1mn Ukrainian refugees forced out of homes by Donbass war
President Petro Poroshenko and his allies started attracting foreign politicians to various posts in Ukraine soon after coming to power in 2014. These included Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, Economic Minister Aivaras Abromavicius and Health Minister Alexander Kvitashvili – citizens of the United States, Lithuania and Georgia respectively. More foreigners were appointed on lower posts in these ministries. Another similar step was the appointment of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili as the governor of the Odessa Region.
All foreign citizens who received government or regional posts from Poroshenko were also granted Ukrainian citizenship in order to comply with the law. He also proposed that the parliament alter the law and allow foreigners on top state positions without a change of citizenship, but this bill has not yet been passed.
In late 2014 Russian MP Aleksey Pushkov tweeted that by attracting foreigners to top state positions, President Poroshenko acknowledged that under his governance Ukraine had become a failed state.
LISTEN MORE:
