Russia Accuses Kyiv Of Using ‘Dictatorial,’ ‘Terrorist’ Means
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has alleged that “dictatorial and sometimes terrorist methods” are being used in Ukraine to pressure dissenters against the country’s new authorities.
It accused the parliament which ousted President Viktor Yanukovych of pushing through constitutional reforms without proper debate, and passing legislation curtailing the rights of ethnic Russians.
A ministry statement called for a “crackdown on the extremists who are trying to get established in power” in Ukraine.
The ministry also accused Western nations, saying they were not worried about Ukraine’s fate but instead engaged in “unilateral geopolitical calculations” in support of their own interests.
The European Commission, meanwhile, said on February 24 that it recognizes Oleksandr Turchynov, an ally of formerly jailed Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, as Ukraine’s legitimate acting president.
The Commission also said Ukraine could sign EU political cooperation and free trade accords after a new government is formed through elections.
Yanukovych’s decision not to sign those accords last November led to the movement that last week forced him to abandon his office and residence and flee Kyiv.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is currently visiting Kyiv, where she is expected to discuss ways to help Ukraine rebuild its economy.
Ukraine’s acting finance minister said on February 24 that Ukraine will require around $35 billion in foreign aid over the next two years, and called for an international donors conference to be held urgently.
Russian Concerns
Earlier on February 24, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow has “serious doubts” about the legitimacy of many of Ukraine’s government bodies following Yanukovych’s ouster.
Medvedev said there was no one to deal with in Kyiv, saying “masked men carrying Kalashnikovs” could not be partners for dialogue.
He said to recognize the new authorities in Ukraine would be an “aberration.”
“Some of our foreign partners, Western partners, think otherwise — they consider these authorities legitimate. I don’t know which constitution and what legislation they are reading from,” Medvedev said. “I think it is an aberration of consciousness of some kind to give legitimacy to something that in essence is a result of an armed revolt.”
After Yanukovych rejected the EU accords, Moscow extended a $15 billion aid package to Kyiv aimed at helping the government overcome Ukraine’s debt crisis. That aid package now appears to be in doubt.
Ukraine’s acting government has issued an arrest warrant for Yanukovych, accusing him of mass murder over the killings of dozens of antigovernment protesters by police.
Vitali Klitschko, one of the former opposition leaders, said Yanukovych accused Yanukovych of going into hiding to escape responsibility.
“It’s a remarkable situation when the most sought-after character in the country is the president of Ukraine, who is hiding and doing everything to flee from the country and to avoid the responsibility that he must bear,” Klitschko said.
“I would like to emphasize that hundreds of victims are the responsibility of Yanukovych, who gave the orders [to disperse protesters with violence].”
Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Yanukovych was last seen in the pro-Russian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea late on February 23.