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| Besieged Ukraine Region Hosts Session on Crisis | Besieged Ukraine Region Hosts Session on Crisis |
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| KIEV, Ukraine — Senior Ukrainian officials on Saturday held a second session of national “round-table” talks aimed at ending the country’s political crisis, this time in the eastern city of Kharkiv in the region that has been besieged by pro-Russian separatist violence. | KIEV, Ukraine — Senior Ukrainian officials on Saturday held a second session of national “round-table” talks aimed at ending the country’s political crisis, this time in the eastern city of Kharkiv in the region that has been besieged by pro-Russian separatist violence. |
| Even as the acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, and other officials from the provisional government in Kiev sought to show a commitment to engage in a dialogue with eastern Ukraine, representatives of the region pressed them to end an operation aimed at suppressing separatists. | Even as the acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, and other officials from the provisional government in Kiev sought to show a commitment to engage in a dialogue with eastern Ukraine, representatives of the region pressed them to end an operation aimed at suppressing separatists. |
| Sergei S. Kravchenko, the mayor of Luhansk, one of eastern Ukraine’s embattled cities, told the meeting’s participants, “This is the only option in my opinion that can save Ukraine from division.” | Sergei S. Kravchenko, the mayor of Luhansk, one of eastern Ukraine’s embattled cities, told the meeting’s participants, “This is the only option in my opinion that can save Ukraine from division.” |
| There were repeated calls for restoring order and security in eastern Ukraine, with local and regional officials saying Kiev should first withdraw its security forces, and federal officials saying that separatist militias should lay down their weapons. | There were repeated calls for restoring order and security in eastern Ukraine, with local and regional officials saying Kiev should first withdraw its security forces, and federal officials saying that separatist militias should lay down their weapons. |
| There were reports of continued scattered violence in the eastern region on Saturday, including an exchange of gunfire near the Russian border after the governor of the separatist Luhansk People’s Republic was briefly detained by border guards early Saturday morning. Local news services reported that the governor, Valery Bolotov, was freed after the shootout and had returned to a local government building, with no casualties reported during the gunfight. There were also reports of shootings at vehicle checkpoints, including one in Luhansk in which the driver of a vehicle was killed. | |
| The session began with a plea for comity by former President Leonid M. Kravchuk, who urged participants to respect the rules and focus on the Kiev government’s plan for decentralization, which would give local officials more budget authority. | The session began with a plea for comity by former President Leonid M. Kravchuk, who urged participants to respect the rules and focus on the Kiev government’s plan for decentralization, which would give local officials more budget authority. |
| The talks, however, quickly became contentious, with Inna Bohoslovskaya, a member of Parliament, demanding that leaders from eastern Ukraine explain who was financing the separatists, and the eastern leaders, in response, demanding to know who backed the civil uprising in Kiev that led to the ouster of President Viktor F. Yanukovych. | The talks, however, quickly became contentious, with Inna Bohoslovskaya, a member of Parliament, demanding that leaders from eastern Ukraine explain who was financing the separatists, and the eastern leaders, in response, demanding to know who backed the civil uprising in Kiev that led to the ouster of President Viktor F. Yanukovych. |
| Some participants representing eastern Ukraine insisted that Mr. Yanukovych had been removed illegally because Parliament did not formally impeach him after he fled to Russia. (Lawmakers had voted overwhelmingly to strip Mr. Yanukovych of power but Ukraine’s Constitution has no provision for such a step.) | Some participants representing eastern Ukraine insisted that Mr. Yanukovych had been removed illegally because Parliament did not formally impeach him after he fled to Russia. (Lawmakers had voted overwhelmingly to strip Mr. Yanukovych of power but Ukraine’s Constitution has no provision for such a step.) |
| References to the former president prompted Mr. Kravchuk to ask why officials from Mr. Yanukovych’s Party of Regions had not invited him to the talks. | References to the former president prompted Mr. Kravchuk to ask why officials from Mr. Yanukovych’s Party of Regions had not invited him to the talks. |
| Mr. Yatsenyuk, the acting prime minister, said officials in Kiev were pushing ahead with the decentralization plan, which would also include the elimination of regional governments and their replacement by representatives of the federal government. Russia and its supporters in eastern Ukraine are pressing for a federalization plan that would strengthen the regional governments and weaken the central government in Kiev. | Mr. Yatsenyuk, the acting prime minister, said officials in Kiev were pushing ahead with the decentralization plan, which would also include the elimination of regional governments and their replacement by representatives of the federal government. Russia and its supporters in eastern Ukraine are pressing for a federalization plan that would strengthen the regional governments and weaken the central government in Kiev. |
| Mr. Yatsenyuk said the federalization proposal was aimed at dividing the country by empowering regional governors who might be loyal to Moscow. “We had one Yanukovych,” he said sharply. “Now they want 27 Yanukovychs.” | Mr. Yatsenyuk said the federalization proposal was aimed at dividing the country by empowering regional governors who might be loyal to Moscow. “We had one Yanukovych,” he said sharply. “Now they want 27 Yanukovychs.” |
| In the end, despite much debate, there was no resolution, and it was unclear when or where the talks would continue. Officials said they would seek a vote in Parliament on a measure that would outline concrete next steps by the government. | In the end, despite much debate, there was no resolution, and it was unclear when or where the talks would continue. Officials said they would seek a vote in Parliament on a measure that would outline concrete next steps by the government. |
| Wolfgang Ischinger, who was designated to represent the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe at the talks, urged officials to reach a peaceful settlement. | Wolfgang Ischinger, who was designated to represent the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe at the talks, urged officials to reach a peaceful settlement. |