Moscow - The State Duma will issue a tough statement on the situation in Ukraine, Leonid Slutsky, the head of the State Duma committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration, and liaison with Russians abroad, told reporters on Tuesday.
The statement will be adopted at the initiative of the leaders of all four factions of the State Duma, he said.
“It will be a tough statement. The parliamentarians will give their evaluation of the Euromaidan events and their consequences,” Slutsky said.
State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin told a plenary session on Tuesday this statement may be adopted by the State Duma on Wednesday.
The committee headed by Slutsky is now working on the text of the statement. Slutsky, for his part, pointed out that the draft statement is currently in the final stages of discussion and is expected to be submitted to the State Duma by the leaders of the four factions of the State Duma.
Slutsky said the State Duma intends to express its concerns about the increasing scale of the conflict, the attempts to overthrow the legitimate administration of Ukraine, and the civil resistance, which is resulting in bloodshed, casualties, and acts of vandalism.
“Besides radical activists, responsibility for the escalation of tensions rests directly with Western politicians, who are rudely interfering in the internal affairs of Ukraine and in effect instigate a coup,” Slutsky said.
Slutsky said the State Duma intends to again all against external pressure on Ukraine and call on “our strategic friends” to stop any actions exacerbating the situation in Ukraine.
The Russian parliamentarians also plan to call on the Ukrainian opposition to resume observance of the law, stop violence, and begin constructive dialogue with the legitimate authorities.
“Simultaneously, the parliamentarians are ready to state their support for the Russian-Ukrainian top-level agreements on the financial assistance provided by the Russian Federation to Ukraine, including on the reduction of gas prices, and also promise legislative assistance to all joint projects in the spheres of economics, science, and culture,” Slutsky said.
