Megi Benia, Georgia
Ukrainian Crisis is a process
which highly concerns the world community and first of all the European Union
as it influences various aspects of this community, such as economical, political
or defense issues. All the windows of opportunity for multilateral talks to end
the violence in Ukraine have been closing immediately, although there were
several things that should have been done in order not to make situation such
critical and in this article I will try to demonstrate them.
Let’s
recall how it all started - everything began when in November 2013, widespread
protests broke out in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. These protests responded to
President Viktor Yanukovich’s decision to back out of the plan to sign a
far-reaching agreement with the European Union (EU). The plan would establish a closer political and economic
relationship with the EU, and would signal Ukraine’s interest in joining the
twenty-eight nation bloc. Pro-EU Ukrainians took to the streets, hoping that
Yanukovich would retract his decision. He did not, and instead signed a $15
billion trade deal with Russia. Pro-EU demonstrators rejected Yanukovich’s
decision to deepen Ukraine’s ties with Russia and continued their demonstrations.
Moscow controlled the territory of present-day Ukraine for centuries, up until
1991, and many protesters did not want to see hard-won gains, specifically
those tied to political and economic independence, undone.
In
January 2014, Yanukovich’s government implemented anti-democratic legislation
restricting political dissent. The legislation banned the installation of tents
and stages in public spaces, criminalized the use of masks and helmets at
protests, and outlawed the slandering of government officials. Facing immense
public pressure and criticism from the international community, the government
repealed the laws just two weeks after they had been enacted. Anti-Yanukovich
demonstrations and fears about Russia’s sway over Ukraine continued. In late February,
the violence reached an all-time high with rising death tolls among protesters
and the police. Under growing pressure, Yanukovich fled Kiev and the parliament
voted to oust him from government. After this turn of events, the chiefs of the
riot police and security forces signaled their interest in withdrawing from all
conflict.
In
March, Russian Parliament approved Vladimir Putin's request to use force in
Ukraine to protect Russian interests. Pro-Russian rallies were held in several
Ukrainian cities outside Crimea, including the second-biggest city Kharkiv.
Barack Obama told Mr. Putin to pull forces back to bases.
On 6 of
March, Crimea's parliament voted to join Russia and scheduled a referendum for
16 March. On 16 of March, Official
results from Crimea's secession referendum said 97% of voters backed a proposal
to join Russia and on 18 of March Putin signed a treaty absorbing Crimea into
Russia it was the first time the Kremlin expanded the country's borders since
World War II. Kiev said the conflict reached a "military stage" after
a Ukrainian soldier was shot and killed by gunmen who stormed a military base
in Simferopol. Crimea's pro-Kremlin police department said a member of the
local self-defense forces was also killed in the same incident.
We agree
that all countries on the international arena have their own interests and
sometimes some of them, especially the most powerful ones have global
interests, but we also must remember that all countries have the right for self-govern
and all of them have to respect this right.
There were
several things, that had to be done both inside of the Ukraine and outside from
the International Community.
First
of all, when the Euromaidan had demanded cooperation with European Union and at
the same time the opposing demands had been increasing in the Easter Ukraine
and Crimea, it was important to use the mechanisms of negotiation and
mediation, but this had not be done. Opposing to this Russian Language was
banned as a second official language of the State and of course this was one of
the main reasons of increasing discontent and aggression from the Russian speaking
population of Ukraine.
Secondly,
in any newly erupted conflicts it is recommendable to prevent it in the beginning,
until the tensions increases and grows into something irreversible, however if
the armed conflict erupts anyway, the active involvement of international and
local powers are highly essential to achieve a ceasefire. The latter is vital
to protect human lives.
The
most important thing in any situation in our daily life is to safe human life,
to protect women and children, to make losses minimal on both sides and finally
to achieve consensus in any debates.
Maybe it is possible to achieve some results with
weapons, but no victory and success is worth even one human life. We should
build a state, where every single human life is valuable, is respected and
protected so that entire community is safe and valued as well.
