The Ukrainian authorities will do their best to settle the conflict with Russia through peaceful diplomatic means and without casualties, but the threat of war for the Ukrainian state is real, Acting President of Ukraine and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksandr Turchynov has said.
“We’ll do our best to avoid war and human victims. We’ll do everything possible to settle the conflict diplomatically. But the military threat for our country is real. That’s why I signed the order for partial mobilization. The parliament approved this decision. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian patriots have voluntarily entered the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and National Guard to protect the Motherland,” reads an appeal to compatriots from Turchynov posted on the president’s Web site on Monday.
He also said that Ukraine was ready for the negotiations regarding the future of the Crimea but it didn’t recognize the annexation.
“Attempts at the military blocking of the Crimea are temporary and won’t cause the separation of the peninsula from Ukraine. We’re ready for negotiations but we will never put up with the annexation of our land.”
According to Turchynov “Russian troops are in fact keeping the Crimea under the gun while covering their aggression with falsified and legally insignificant ‘referendum,’ which will never be accepted by Ukraine nor the world.” In addition Turchynov stressed that Russia’s gathering its troops on Ukrainian borders threatened Ukraine with a full-scale war.
However, the attempts to provoke the Ukrainian party into military confrontation didn’t succeed: “This plan failed precisely because of the action strategy that we have chosen. Our troops did demonstrate a heroic self-restraint, and Ukrainians didn’t give in to the provocations, while Russia in fact got itself into international isolation.”
According to Turchynov, Ukraine is being confronted by the political leadership of the Russian Federation.
“They dream of the restoration of the empire. They are in horror because of the Ukrainian example, where people defeated a totalitarian regime. It is a democratic, European, successful and prospering Ukraine, which we’re building today, that Kremlin fears the most. This is the real motive for their aggression,” said acting president.
According to him, Ukraine is reinforcing its defensive capacity every day and is ready to protect the integrity of its land.
“Provocateurs and rioters are being sent to us. Traitors and separatists are being financed. They want to destroy and weaken the country from within. Thus, any illegal actions, attempts to solicit people to mass riots, buildings’ takeover, lynch law, actions against law enforcement agencies and Armed Forces in these conditions will be considered attempts to cooperate with military aggressors and crimes against the state. The offences will cause serious punishments according to the requirements of the Ukrainian law and Constitution, regardless of the political slogans they are masked with or the region, in which they are committed” Turchynov said.
