Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko emphasized the fight against corruption at the opening of a press conference on Sept. 25, saying that the Ukrainian people demand the changes no matter what vested interests stand in the way of the deregulation and revitalization of the economy, the fight against corruption and other steps demanded by the European Union. He said that Ukraine's economic weakness made it vulnerable to Russia's war in eastern Ukraine.
He went on to call on Russia to remove all its troops and for Kremlin-backed separatists to free all prisoners immediately.
The press conference started at 2 p.m. and lasted until 4:30 p.m.
Poroshenko also outlined what he called a comprehensive strategy for reform so that Ukraine can join the EU in six years.
Favors trying suspects for crimes in absentia
During the question-answer phase, Poroshenko was asked about corrupt officials of the ex-President Viktor Yanukovych administration who are charged with crimes and still not facing trial as they are hiding abroad.
“I was always opposed to the absentee court hearings. But now I’m ready to change my mind. We can’t be waiting for the accused to be extradicted,” Poroshenko said. “And we can’t explain to the people of Ukraine why those people are not convicted yet. So I think the parliament must vote to give a special resolution (to convict them).” He said that justice must be served.
Strategy to join EU by 2020
“The 2020 strategy plan includes more than 60 reforms and, 100 days ago, a special team started working on the development of the plan,” Poroshenko said. “Anti-corruption reform, judicial reform, reform of the defense system, decentralization of power, energy independence are the priorities. And the major one is judicial. We’ve chosen around 20 indicators to measure the effectivness of reforms, including credit rating of the country, life expectancy, the number of citizens who are proud of thier country and others. The 2020 strategy plan aims to build new country and we have very little time. We will get the perspective of the memebrship in the European Union in 2020. And I’m not giving you a promise, I’m telling you that we will do that togehter,” he said.
He started the press conference by highlighting the need for reforms as a way to strengthen Ukraine.
“Yes, we cast away the tyranny, confirmed our European choice and survived the fight with the external enemy. But the internal challenge is just as important. Corruption, poverty and economic weakness is our biggest threat and the main weapon of the attackers (in the east). Long period of peace weakened Europe.
The peace turned out to be too fragile. Nobody was feeling safe. Ukraine’s eastern border is a frontline of fighting for Europe. We have a full right to knock on this door (of the EU). We must not walk, but run this path of huge changes.
“We were advised to not reform all the fields at once to not make too many enemies.
I’m not interested who is against reforms. Ukrainian people are for them. We should pay special attention to the European countries’ experience of the past several decades. That’s when our closest neighbors took off the grey Soviet coat and dressed up in European manner. What makes us worse?”
“I will absolutely demand the current parliament to adopt the law on anti-corruption bureau on Oct. 14. (the parliament’s last meeting)”
“We must get involved (in the reforms process) those people who believe in John Kennedy’s words: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for you country” (he recited the quote in English, than translated). I’m sure that new people must build new Ukraine through new Verkhovna Rada with new president. People are fed up with sweet and fake promises.”
In response to a question about whether he fears a third “Maidan” — or revolution — as people tire of the slow pace of change so far during Poroshenko’s four months of presidence, he said: “As a participant of the first and second Maidan, I personally think Maidans make Ukraine better.”
Hopes for productive peace talks with Putin
Poroshenko, in response to another question, said that negotiations for peace will resume with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the next three weeks and that he is optimistic about reaching an agreement.
“I’m in a good mood today. Today was the first night when not a single Ukrainian soldier was killed or wounded.
On local elections in Donbas:
If an official who can represent Donetsk will be elected there, I will meet him. Now I have no one to meet (from Donbas),” Poroshenko said, referring to the upcomign Dec. 7 local elections scheduled for the Donbas.
Poroshenko said that “the local elections in Donbas can only take place in full accordance with Ukrainian legislation — with no armed men in the street, with international observers present. The choice made illegally, without observers present, will not be recognized by Ukraine, world and – hopefully – Russia.”
But Poroshenko said that Ukraine — and the Donbas, the eastern oblasts of Luhansk and Donetsk where Russia is waging a direct and proxy war — will survive as part of Ukraine.
“Some people in Russian administration thought that Ukraine was a colossus on clay legs. And that once you push it a little, Donbas will fall apart. It didn’t happen,” Poroshenko said.
‘Army was fully robbed’
Poroshenko said that Ukraine dose not need lethal weapons from the West, but ratehr advanced communication and radar systems. But he said Ukraine’s military had been destroyed over the course of its national independence since 1991.
“I was proud to be Ukrainian when I was present at the meeting of the U.S. Congress in the U.S. (on Sept. 18),” Poroshenko said. “And when I came back I was asked if I brought lethal weapons. I assure you – we don’t need lethal weapons.
Here’s a fact – an anti-tank missile produced in France is 14 times more expensive than a similar one produced in Ukraine.
One has to learn 2.5 years to use the U.S. weapons. We know how to use our weapons.
What we need is a modern communication systems and radar protection systems. We got the license to buy such equipment. We will use it for defense – to not be the blind kittens when we are being shot at. You say we have full storage house of military machines. Those are tin cans. Nobody even approached them for 30 years. The army was fully robbed.”
Rules out frozen conflict in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas
When asked by a Reuters news agency journalist about the possibility of the eastern Ukrainian Donbas region becoming a second Transnistria, or frozen conflict in which Ukraine will not be able to exercise its full sovereignty, Poroshenko said that Ukraine would retain full control over the territories.
“The law on special status of Donbas doesn’t exist. There is a law on a special regime of local authorities, none of the state functions are delegated. Prosecutors willl be appointed, according to the law on prosecution, police will act according to the law on police,” the president said.
In response to a question, Poroshenko said “there will be no peacekeeping troops in Ukraine. The experience of their usage in Transnistria and other frozen conflicts leaded to the states losing their sovereignity. What we will have is the observers. The number of OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) observers in Ukraine increased – there are now 500 of them working in Ukraine. Tomorrow the UAVs arrive to Ukraine. We will use them to control how the cease-fire is kept and to control the artillery being moved away.”
Says his supporters don’t support Jan. 16 ‘dictator’ laws
Regarding the presence of lawmakers who supported ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and the so-called Jan. 16 dictator laws on the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko during the Oct. 26 parliamentary election, Poroshenko said: “I emphasize that on my party list there are no lawmakers who voted for the laws of Jan. 16. In the single-member districts there are people (running with his bloc) who in the past had different views. But now they are respectful people. For them, the main demand is the same – not voting on Jan. 16 and participating in the Rada meetings since Feb. 20, helping us restore legality.”
Ukrainian Insurgent Army ‘examples of the courage’
Poroshenko touched on a controversial issue involving the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and UPA, known in English as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Ukrainians who fought against Soviet and Nazi occupation during World War II.
“OUN-UPA used to be an issue that was breaking the country apart. In western Ukrainem local councils decided on it already, but not nationally.
Now is a good time to raise this issue. I mentioned UPA fighters in both my inauguration speech and the parade speech on Aug. 24 as the examples of the courage,” Poroshenko said.
Poroshenko will seek to halt devaluation of hryvnia
When asked about hryvnia exchange rate volatility, Poroshenko said it was spurred by several factors, including a 40 percent drop in the price of grain, 50 percent for ore and the halt to foreign investment because of the war.
“We have to do everything to stop the panic. We have to start implementing the 2020 strategy, revise the International Monetary Fund program, get macro-financial aid of one more billion dollars from the EU and financial guarantees or loan of another billion dollars from the US,” Poroshenko said. “Maintaining the national currency is another form of defending Ukrainian citizens.”
Poroshenko says he is responsive
After taking criticism for engineering the quick, closed-door passage in parliament of the law granting special status to the war-torn Donbas, Poroshenko said: “I saw the “talk to me” flash mob (people were uploading their photos holding “Poroshenko, talk to me” signs in protest to little information given by the president about the Donbas law and cease-fire). And I reacted at once. Where do you see a president reacting to a flash mob so quickly?”
Poroshenko promises to investigate threats against journalists
Regarding a report that investigative journalist Alina Strizhak was threatened after investigating a deputy to Prosecutor General Vitaliy Yarema, Poroshenko said: “Any threat to a journalist must get immediate reaction. And the order to the Prosecutor General will be given immediately. And not because I was asked about it at the press conference. Freedom of speech is the basis of any democracy and the safety of journalists is my first priority.
I promise that meeting me will be much easier than any of my predecessors.”
Defends Kolomoisky as Dnipropetrovsk governor
Poroshenko said that, during talks with Putin, billionaire Igor Kolomoisky’s name didn’t come up, even though Putin has called the oligarch a crimina. “If he was indeed the enemy No. 1 (of Putin), I would replace him.
I think that Kolomoisky is effectively performing the duties of the governor. I’m not planning to replace him.
There is no Kolomoisky army that I know of. But there are soldiers from Dnipropetrovsk, people – and they fight magnificently. Especially the 25th brigade. They are the elite of our army. But they are subordinated to the chief of army, not Kolomoisky.”
Says Poland has greater decentralization than what he offers Donbas
“We took Poland as example for decentralization,” Poroshenkos aid. “But even the rights that Poland’s regions have are much wider than the ones that we grant to Donbas by the adopted law.”
