The Ukrainian parliament has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin not to deploy Russian forces in Ukraine. "The Verkhovna Rada announces its appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to prevent the deployment of Russian military forces on Ukrainian territory," says the Verkhovna Rada statement approved at the Sunday session.
The Verkhovna Rada also made a statement requesting that Russia return Russian Black Sea Fleet servicemen to their bases.
“The Verkhovna Rada demands the strict fulfillment of the basic
agreements on the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on Ukrainian
territory, i.e. the immediate return of forces to their bases. Any
movement of servicemen, hardware and armaments must be done exclusively
with consent of competent Ukrainian bodies,” the statement runs.
The Verkhovna Rada passed a resolution “On Support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Other Military Units in Ukraine.”
The draft resolution published on the Verkhovna Rada website said,
“Due to the threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the threat
to its state sovereignty, the instigation of a military scenario and
destabilization of the country, and the disturbance of its peace and
tranquility, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine speaking on behalf of the
Ukrainian people expresses its full solidarity and comprehensive support
to the Ukrainian Armed Forces who are ready to defend our homeland,
their entire staff – from the minister to the private.”
The Verkhovna Rada “wholly approved the decision the Ukrainian
National Security and Defense Council made on March 1, 2014, to put the
Ukrainian Armed Forces on full combat alert. It ordered the Ukrainian
Cabinet of Ministers to take immediate measures towards the material and
financial provision of all needs of the Armed Forces related to the
protection of Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to
immediately present to the Verkhovna Rada when necessary the proposals
concerning adjustments of the law “On the 2014 State Budget of
Ukraine”.”
“The Verkhovna Rada appeals to the parliaments of member states of
the Budapest Memorandum and international organizations for sending
special monitoring missions, which will familiarize themselves with the
real state of affairs in Ukraine,” the draft parliament resolution says.
The Verkhovna Rada met behind closed doors and it is unknown whether the draft resolution was amended.
The Verkhovna Rada requested the parliaments of countries, which
guaranteed Ukrainian security, and international organizations to ask
their governments for help in protecting Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
“Due to the military operations of the Russian Federation against
Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada requests that the parliaments of member
states of the Budapest Memorandum and international organizations ask
their government for help protecting nuclear facilities in Ukraine,” the
draft resolution runs.
