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Volatile Area In Ukraine Hosts Session On the Crisis Talks in East Aim to Ease Tensions In Ukraine
(about 3 hours later)
KIEV, Ukraine — Senior Ukrainian officials on Saturday held a second session of national “round-table” talks aimed at resolving the country’s political crisis, but while the negotiations intensified between leaders from eastern Ukraine and those from the pro-Western provisional government in Kiev, they ended without a resolution. 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.
The acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, and other officials from the provisional government sought to show a commitment to engage in a dialogue — even traveling to the city of Kharkiv in a region that has been besieged by separatist violence. But representatives of the region said the government must halt operations aimed at suppressing the separatists. The meeting brought together a broader cross-section of leaders from eastern Ukraine than the first set of talks, in an attempt to show the government’s commitment to dialogue. But representatives of the region said it would be difficult to resolve the crisis until the government ended military operations aimed at suppressing the separatists.
“This is the only option in my opinion that can save Ukraine from division,” said Valeriy N. Holenko, chairman of Luhansk Regional Council.“This is the only option in my opinion that can save Ukraine from division,” said Valeriy N. Holenko, chairman of Luhansk Regional Council.
The talks are aimed at keeping dialogue going, but do not include the separatists. Those attending were acceptable to Kiev because they had not taken up arms, but many believe there should be more autonomy for the east. Leaders in Kiev are pushing to tighten Ukraine’s ties with Europe, while many in the east prefer closer ties with Russia.
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 Kiev officials saying that separatist militias should lay down their weapons. At times, the officials from the east disagreed strenuously with representatives of the provisional government from Kiev, highlighting still formidable differences. But Western observers said it was important that the two sides finally seemed engaged, rather than talking past each other.
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 self-declared separatist Luhansk People’s Republic was briefly detained by Ukrainian 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. The talks are largely aimed at reaching an accord on restructuring the government to increase local authority, ahead of a presidential election scheduled for May 25. Kiev supports a “decentralization” plan to give more budget authority to local governments, while the pro-Russia side from the east favors a federalization model that would give more overall power to governors.
Mr. Bolotov was returning to Ukraine after seeking medical treatment in Russia for injuries sustained in what an official in the Luhansk People’s Republic said was an assassination attempt. The acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, said officials in Kiev were pushing ahead with the decentralization plan, but that the federalization proposal by Russia and its supporters seemed aimed at dividing the country by empowering regional governors who might be loyal to Moscow. “There was one Yanukovych,” he said sharply on Saturday, referring to the ousted, pro-Russian president, Viktor F. Yanukovych. “Now they want to have 27 Yanukovychs.”
There were also reports of shootings at vehicle checkpoints, including one in Luhansk in which the driver of a vehicle was killed. There were repeated calls on each side for restoring order and security in eastern Ukraine, with local and regional officials saying Kiev should first withdraw its security forces, and Kiev officials saying that separatist militias should lay down their weapons.
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. Even so, 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 self-declared separatist Luhansk People’s Republic was briefly detained by Ukrainian 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.
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 political and business elite in eastern Ukraine had been loyal to Mr. Yanukovych. Mr. Bolotov was returning to Ukraine after seeking medical treatment in Russia for injuries from what an official in the Luhansk People’s Republic said was an assassination attempt.
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.) The round-table 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.
Mr. Yatsenyuk, the acting prime minister, said officials in Kiev were pushing ahead with a plan to provide more power to the regions, but he and eastern leaders disagree over the details of decentralization.. 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. The eastern leaders, in response, demanded to know who backed the civil uprising in Kiev that led to the ouster of Mr. Yanukovych, whose base of political support was in the east.
Mr. Yatsenyuk has said the federalization proposal by Russia and its supporters seemed aimed at dividing the country by empowering regional governors who might be loyal to Moscow. 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.
“We had one Yanukovych,” he said sharply on Saturday. “Now they want 27 Yanukovychs.” In the end, despite much debate, there was no resolution, and it was unclear when or where the talks might continue.
In the end, despite much debate, there was no resolution, and it was unclear when or where the talks would continue. 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. “Ukrainians,” he said toward the start of the talks, “please use words, not swords.”
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.