Ukrainian government refuses to remove troops from Crimea, prepares for war

“Crimea was, is, and will be our
territory,” said Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh in a statement delivered at the
Ukrainian Crisis Media Center on March 17. 

Former heavyweight boxing champion and leader
of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform Vitali Klitschko announced
that Ukrainian troops would remain at their bases, even after March 21, the end
of a peace treaty signed by the interior ministries of Ukraine and Russia. 

In accordance with the March 16 peace
treaty, the Russian Interior Ministry promised to allow Ukrainian soldiers to
pass freely into and out of their bases, which Russian troops had surrounded for
more than two weeks. Tenyukh said that the Russian military had thus far
respected the terms of the treaty. 

Although tensions have de-escalated around
military bases in Crimea since the signing of the treaty, neither side is
prepared to back down. The Russian government expects that Ukrainian troops
will surrender their military bases before the conclusion of the treaty. The
Ukrainian government has said that it will not withdraw forces from Crimea,
using the peace as an opportunity to replenish supplies for Ukrainian troops
stationed on Crimean bases. 

When asked whether Ukrainian troops would
fight to defend Crimea, Tenyukh replied tersely, “The armed forces will execute
their tasks, ” later adding, “Ukrainian forces will stay [in Crimea] until all
their tasks have been completed.” 

Speaking to the Verkhovna Rada in the evening on March 17, Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov said that his government would “do everything possible to prevent war.” However, he noted that “the threat of war is real…We are strengthening our defense capacity. Ukraine is ready to defend its territory.”

Earlier on March 17, the Ukrainian
parliament voted to allot 6.7 billion hryvnia (more than $600 million) to
bolster the country’s defenses over the next three months, and to partially
mobilize the armed forces.  

Tenyukh said that the mobilization was
intended to bring the military to “full readiness.” The Verkhovna Rada called
for 40,000 troops to be mobilized, calling on reservists to prepare for active
duty.

As the Ukrainian economy teeters on the
verge of default, the country’s top leaders have been forced to devote
resources to bolstering Ukraine’s military, which many believe former President
Victor Yanukovich intentionally undermined over the course of his three and a
half year reign. 

Klitschko said Ukrainian parliamentarians
were prepared to send 25 percent of their salaries to “support patriots in
Crimea.” 

Pavlo Petrenko, Ukraine’s Justice Minister,
said that the “the most important issue is to restore the military might of
Ukraine.” 

“Our army should be ready for combat,” said
Petrenko. 

Klitschko reiterated that the March 16 referendum
in Crimea was conducted illegally, and that the peninsula remains “part and
parcel” of Ukraine. As such, the Ukrainian government will continue to provide
services to Crimea, including electricity, gas, and water. 

In another indication of deteriorating
relations between Ukraine and Russia, Klitschko announced that Volodymyr
Yelchenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to Russia, would be recalled from Moscow
for consultations with the newly formed government in Kyiv. 

The escalation in rhetoric comes as
pro-Kremlin Crimean leaders took the first steps towards integration into the
Russian Federation. 

The Crimean Supreme Council voted on March 17 to introduce
Moscow time to Crimea on March 30. On the same day, Crimean leaders announced
that the Russian ruble would begin circulating alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia
and would become the only currency in Crimea by Jan. 1.   

Kyiv Post staff writer Isaac Webb can be reached
at [email protected] or on Twitter @isaacdwebb