The most
dangerous time for the conflict in eastern Ukraine appears to be over,
according to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The country, he says, now
stands ready to move forward and apply to join the EU.
Deutsche Welle, 25 Sep 2014
Speaking at
a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday, the Ukrainian president outlined his
plans for the country's future, emphasizing that the current ceasefire was holding.
The
Ukrainian government had signed the agreement with separatists in eastern
Ukrainian roughly three weeks ago. However, despite support from Russia for the
step toward peace and granting autonomy to the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk
last week, sporadic fighting had still persisted.
"The
ceasefire has finally started working," President Petro Poroshenko said.
"I
have no doubt whatsoever that my peace plan will work and that the main and
most dangerous part of the war is behind,” he added.
Fighting
broke out in mid-April, not long after Russia annexed Crimea. At least 3,500
people have died in the clashes in eastern Ukraine since then.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin's veiled support of the armed rebels raised concerns
in the West, where leaders worried Russia intended to restore land lost after
the fall of the Soviet Union. His refusal to halt financial and logistical
support to the separatists –which he denied had occurred at all – prompted the
EU and the US to impose sanctions.
EU membership?
The
Ukrainian leader also announced plans on Thursday that would pave the way for
the eastern European country to apply for EU membership in six years.
"[The
strategy] provides for 60 separate reforms and special programs, which will
prepare Ukraine for applying for membership in the European Union [by
2020]," he said.
He has
dubbed the series of economic and political reforms "Strategy 2020."
The Russian
Foreign Ministry later said that the Ukrainian government should resolve the
current problems with Moscow before attempting to become an EU member state,
according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass.
Earlier
this month, Kyiv and Brussels ratified an Association Agreement, which had been
shelved the previous year by ex-President President Viktor Yanukovych. His
decision to seek closer ties with Russia over the EU sparked the mass protests
that eventually led to the crisis in the country's eastern regions.
kms/mg (AP, Reuters, dpa)
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