BYuT UKRAINE
GOVERNMENT PORTAL
INFORM NEWSLETTER
Ukraine calls on russian troops to withdraw
12 August 2008
Published in
Inform
issue #81
See the full issue here.
Ukraine has called for Russia to pull its troops out of Georgia and offered to join efforts to mediate as the conflict between Georgia and Russia escalated over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. With the Russian navy’s involvement, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that it was reserving the right to bar Russian warships and vessels involved from returning to Ukrainian territory – in particular Sevastopol the port where Russia bases its Black Sea Fleet.
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine released a statement saying: “Ukraine calls on the Russian Federation, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to pull out its troops from Georgia, to be reserved in its actions, and to exert the necessary influence upon the separatist regime of Tskhinvali in order to return to the bargaining table. A prerequisite of successful talks will be an immediate ceasefire, confirmation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia by the Russian side, devotion to principles of good neighbourhood, refusal of strong-arm tactics and the peaceful settlement of conflicts.”
The statement expressed Ukraine’s “deep concern” over the conflict and said that Ukraine is exploring ways to solve the situation working with the international community. Moreover, it stressed that Ukraine is ready to make a contribution to efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution.
The Russian Foreign Ministry made a surprise statement on its website saying: "The Ukrainian government, which has been enthusiastically arming Georgian troops from top to bottom, was in fact encouraging Georgia to attack and carry out ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia." It went onto say that the former-Soviet republic had "no moral right to teach others how to do things."
See the full issue here.
Ukraine has called for Russia to pull its troops out of Georgia and offered to join efforts to mediate as the conflict between Georgia and Russia escalated over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. With the Russian navy’s involvement, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that it was reserving the right to bar Russian warships and vessels involved from returning to Ukrainian territory – in particular Sevastopol the port where Russia bases its Black Sea Fleet.
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine released a statement saying: “Ukraine calls on the Russian Federation, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to pull out its troops from Georgia, to be reserved in its actions, and to exert the necessary influence upon the separatist regime of Tskhinvali in order to return to the bargaining table. A prerequisite of successful talks will be an immediate ceasefire, confirmation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia by the Russian side, devotion to principles of good neighbourhood, refusal of strong-arm tactics and the peaceful settlement of conflicts.”
The statement expressed Ukraine’s “deep concern” over the conflict and said that Ukraine is exploring ways to solve the situation working with the international community. Moreover, it stressed that Ukraine is ready to make a contribution to efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution.
The Russian Foreign Ministry made a surprise statement on its website saying: "The Ukrainian government, which has been enthusiastically arming Georgian troops from top to bottom, was in fact encouraging Georgia to attack and carry out ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia." It went onto say that the former-Soviet republic had "no moral right to teach others how to do things."
This is hardly the first time Russia has talked tough
over Georgia. Recently, Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said that Georgia’s ambition to join NATO
“will lead to renewed bloodshed,” adding, as if that
was not enough, “we will do anything not to allow
Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO.”
Last April, NATO rebuffed Ukraine and Georgia’s application to join the NATO Membership Action Plan. With conflict on Georgia’s borders unlikely to be resolved quickly, most analysts doubt Georgia’s membership aspirations will be embraced any time soon and that the former-Soviet state may have overestimated Western support.
Meanwhile, an international mission comprising UN and EU representatives have descended on Georgia’s capital Tbilisi in the hope of brokering an unconditional ceasefire and resolving the conflict. On Sunday the Georgian government declared a unilateral ceasefire and said it had withdrawn all its troops from South Ossetia.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Hryhoriy Nemyria, said, “We are deeply saddened by the events and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Russia should withdraw its forces and respect Georgian sovereignty. A peaceful settlement born out of mediation must be found.” The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has a good personal relationship with Ukraine’s prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, and was the first foreign leader to congratulate her on her strong showing in the parliamentary election last September.
Last April, NATO rebuffed Ukraine and Georgia’s application to join the NATO Membership Action Plan. With conflict on Georgia’s borders unlikely to be resolved quickly, most analysts doubt Georgia’s membership aspirations will be embraced any time soon and that the former-Soviet state may have overestimated Western support.
Meanwhile, an international mission comprising UN and EU representatives have descended on Georgia’s capital Tbilisi in the hope of brokering an unconditional ceasefire and resolving the conflict. On Sunday the Georgian government declared a unilateral ceasefire and said it had withdrawn all its troops from South Ossetia.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Hryhoriy Nemyria, said, “We are deeply saddened by the events and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Russia should withdraw its forces and respect Georgian sovereignty. A peaceful settlement born out of mediation must be found.” The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has a good personal relationship with Ukraine’s prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, and was the first foreign leader to congratulate her on her strong showing in the parliamentary election last September.