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Focus on Ukraine, August 3-10, 2008

August 11, 2008
Ukraine in Focus

The Democratic Initiatives Foundation follows political events in Ukraine with the aim of monitoring the pre-election promises of the country’s leading political forces that won seats in the parliament as a result of the early elections to the Verkhovna Rada on September 30, 2007. The monitoring is conducted within the framework of the project “Where are our political leaders taking us?”

August 4

President Viktor Yushchenko considers this year’s flood in six oblasts of the western part of Ukraine to be the second major national disaster after the accident at the Chornobyl Atomic Energy Station in 1986.
According to verified statistics, a total of 38 people died and UAH 4 billion in damages were incurred.

Minister of Defense Yuriy Yekhanurov stated that accusations against Ukraine for illegal supply of weapons to Georgia are unsubstantiated.
Yekhanurov pointed out, “If someone purchases Ukrainian weaponry, this does not mean it is in high demand on global markets. We possess a huge stockpile of excess weapons and are trying to sell them, but only to those countries against which there is not an international embargo on arms trading.”

August 5

The Simferopol Prosecutor General’s Office protested the ruling of the Simferopol City Council declaring the city a territory free of NATO military formations.
At a session on July 24 the deputies of the Simferopol City Council declared the city a “territory free of NATO military formations” to express their objection to the conducting of “potentially dangerous NATO training exercises” on the territory of Simferopol.
Besides that, the deputies are against political propaganda in favor of the Alliance through holding round tables, lectures, etc.

Ukraine’s request for assistance in clean-up in the aftermath of the flooding in the western regions of the country was submitted to all NATO member countries and partnering countries.
As it reads in a statement of the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Co-ordination Centre issued on Monday in Brussels, the request inquiry was passed on in accordance with standard procedures.

August 6

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Colonel-General Aleksandr Zyelin stated that Russia and NATO generally confirmed the draft documents on the use of Russian military aviation transport in the interests of NATO.

Premier Yulia Tymoshenko announced that 33.5 million tonnes of grain have been harvested from 75% of the areas sown.
Tymoshenko said, “Ukraine has not had such a harvest of grain since the year it gained independence. Moreover, we have not had such a crop yield. Most importantly, the grain crop yield was a record high of 36.7 centners from one hectare of land over this period of time.”


August 7

The Embassy of Ukraine to the Russia officially informed the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about lifting the ban to the entry of Russian deputy of the State Duma Konstantin Zatulin.
It was reported on August 25 that Zatulin was detained at the airport in Simferopol on his way to Sevastopol to participate in a tennis tournament and not allowed onto the territory of Ukraine.

August 8

President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili declared a general mobilization of Georgian reserve troops to defend his homeland.
In a televised interview Saakashvili also requested that Russia suspend the bombing of Georgian cities.
Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia Aleksandr Lomai stated that Moscow and Tbilisi will be in a war situation if Russian tanks enter the territory of Southern Ossetia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine sent a communiqué demanding that Russia, as a standing member of the UN Security Council, immediately withdraw its troops from the territory of Georgia.
The ministry also requested that Russia “show restraint in its actions and apply pressure on the separatist regime of Tskhinvali in order that its delegates return to the negotiating table.”

August 9

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili declared a state of war at a meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday.
He stated, “I am signing a decree regarding a state of war and will pass it on to parliament for approval as Georgia is in a state of military aggression on the part of Russia.”

August 10

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in which it warns Russia against the possible participation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the conflict in Southern Ossetia and reserves the right to prohibit ships and vessels from returning to the territory of Ukraine until the conflict is resolved.

On Sunday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia sent a diplomatic communiqué to the Consul of the Russian Federation in Georgia in which the president of Georgia gave an order to suspend military actions and declared a cease fire on August 10.
In the communiqué sent out on Sunday in Tbilisi it reads: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia declares that Georgia is prepared to immediately enter into negotiations with the Russian Federation about suspending military actions and declaring a cease fire.”



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