Ukraine’s prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk speaks during his meeting with regional leaders in Donetsk, Ukraine, April 11, 2014.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk met Friday with local leaders in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, with a proposal to devolve more power to the regions.
"I would like to state clearly that the central government is not only ready for dialogue with regions, but is ready to fulfill lawful requirements and wishes of all the citizens of our country," he said. In the framework of the changed constitution, we will be able to satisfy specific requests of every single region.
There were no immediate signs the government is preparing to follow through on its threats to use force to vacate the buildings. Neither was there evidence the protesters were about to surrender.
Pro-Russian separatists occupying state buildings in eastern Ukraine were facing a a deadline imposed by Kyiv to surrender their weapons. But it appears the interim government has decided to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Armed men this week stormed government buildings in Luhansk and Donetsk, demanding Ukraine allow a referendum on independence. The government has offered amnesty for those who surrender, but had threatened force earlier in the week.
Recent surveys suggest residents of eastern Ukraine overwhelmingly oppose any move to join Russia.
Moscow invasion?
Meanwhile, there are lingering concerns that Moscow may be preparing to invade eastern Ukraine. On a visit to NATO-member Bulgaria, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday that Russia must withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border and enter into sincere dialogue with the West.
Delivering much the same message that he has given on visits
elsewhere, Rasmussen also said the NATO alliance was not
discussing military action over Ukraine, but added that it was
taking steps to protect its partners effectively.
NATO on Thursday released aerial photographs showing what it says are 40,000 Russian troops, along with tanks and aircraft massed near the Ukrainian border.
On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he is ready for four-party talks on Ukraine with the U.S., the European Union and Kyiv.
But he said in order for tensions to be reduced, the West should stop its efforts to "legitimize" Ukraine＇s pro-Western leaders.
"We believe it is indeed possible to de-escalate the Ukrainian crisis," he said. "To achieve that, it is necessary to stop imposing fait accompli, to stop the efforts by every possible means, to legitimize the ＇Maidan＇ government."
Ukraine＇s current government came to power following the so-called "Euromaidan" protests that forced the country＇s pro-Russian leaders from power in February.
Ukraine＇s gas bills
European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Friday taht he is working on a plan to help Ukraine pay some of its gas bills to Russia. He told Austria＇s ORF radio that there was "no reason to panic＇＇ about Russian gas supplies to Europe.
"We are in close contact with Ukraine and its gas company to
ensure that Ukraine remains able to pay and the debts that the gas company has to Gazprom do not rise further,＇＇ he said, adding he would meet Ukraine＇s energy and foreign ministers on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday in a
letter to leaders of 18 European countries that Russia would cut natural gas supplies to Ukraine if it did not pay its bills and said this could lead to a reduction of onward deliveries to Europe.
Oettinger advised against taking the threat at face value,
saying Russia wanted to deliver gas and needed the revenue.
Sanctions
A month later, Moscow proceeded to annex Ukraine＇s Crimean peninsula, a move that prompted Washington to impose sanctions on Russia.
The U.S. is threatening to impose more economic penalties if Russia does not pull back its troops from the border.
A White House statement on Thursday said the U.S. and its allies are "prepared to meet further Russian escalation with additional sanctions."
At the World Bank/IMF spring meetings in Washington Thursday, U.S. leaders also threatened more sanctions against Russia.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told his Russian counterpart he could expect "significant" sanctions in the event of further escalation. |
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