Leader of the Batkivschyna party Yulia Tymoshenko has said the ceasefire protocol signed in Minsk on Sept. 5 poses a threat to Ukraine and the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is urged to call unscheduled meetings of the Verkhovna Rada to discuss the document.
Leader of the Batkivschyna party Yulia Tymoshenko has said the ceasefire protocol signed in Minsk on Sept. 5 poses a threat to Ukraine and the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is urged to call unscheduled meetings of the Verkhovna Rada to discuss the document.
“The protocol is very dangerous,” Tymoshenko told reporters on Sept. 8. The document lacks the demand on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, she said.
The protocol signed in Minsk poses a threat to Ukraine “because in these protocols unknown formations of [the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic] DPR and [Luhansk People’s Republic] LPR are recognized as an official party, which signed them,” Tymoshenko said.
According to Tymoshenko, the Ukrainian president should take several important steps. “First, I am asking the president to call immediately an unscheduled meeting of the Verkhovna Rada in order to explain clearly to the country, publicly and openly as to what was signed, who signed and what stands behind this protocol,” she said.
It is also necessary to discuss during an unscheduled meeting of the Verkhovna Rada what steps will be taken in Ukraine after these documents are signed, Tymoshenko said. “Today everyone in our state wants to make sure that turning part of Ukraine into Transdniestria is not what is behind this protocol and that surrendering the territory of Donbas is not behind the protocols,” Tymoshenko said.
At the same time, the authorities are urged to dismiss the leadership of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Tymoshenko said. “I address the president with the proposal to change immediately he senior officials of the Defense Ministry. If necessary, we will propose strong, decent and competent candidates,” she said.
The position of commander-in-chief should be established “in order to rule the country with quite a firm hand and with understanding tactics and strategy,” Tymoshenko said.
Batkivschyna is ready to help the president “but chaos in the country must be stopped,” she said.
