The US, Australia, and the EU’s biggest powers quickly recognized Kosovo as an independent nation, widening a split with Russia, China, and some EU members.
ation, widening a split with Russia, China, and some EU members strongly opposed to letting the territory break away from Serbia.
Serbia’s government ruled out military intervention, but announced the Feb. 17 declaration illegal and filed legal charges against Kosovo’s leadership, vowing to block the nascent nation’s attempts to join the international community.
Several nations, including Russia and Spain, who both have internal separatist problems, denounced the declaration as illegal according to international law, and warned Kosovo’s declaration could set a dangerous precedent for separatist groups.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement recognizing that Kosovo declared independence, but not endorsing the move. Days afterwards, the ministry had yet to formulate an official position.
“The future of Kosovo and the whole region lies within a European perspective,” the Ministry said in a cautiously worded statement released Feb. 18.
“This is the only way to secure stability, prevent violence and keep civil peace. Ukraine is among a majority of the countries which state that the situation around Kosovo cannot be a precedent.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko and President Viktor Yushchenko joined other European leaders coping with secessionist movements in warning against a precedent.
“On the territory of the former USSR, particularly in Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, there are socalled ‘frozen conflicts’ and undoubtedly, separate forces can use what’s happening today in Kosovo in its favor in whatever way,” Ohryzko said on Feb. 18. “But Ukraine’s position will 100 percent conclude that this fact can’t be a precedent.”
In formulating an official position, Ukraine will take into consideration the decisions of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations Security Council, and the European Union, Yushchenko said.
The Russian Federation, a key Serbian ally, said Kosovo’s declaration of independence violated the sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia, the United Nations (UN) Charter, UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, Kosovo’s Constitutional Framework, and the highlevel Contact Group accords.
“Russia fully supports the reaction of the Serbian leadership to the events in Kosovo and its just demands to restore the territorial integrity of the country,” a Russian Foreign Ministry statement read.
In a statement which paralleled President Yushchenko’s position, Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych expressed solidarity with the Russian position.
He said Ukraine should take the lead in initiating an international Kosovo conference, which would develop new rules on national sovereignty.
“The world now has a serious precedent that disregards the Helsinki agreements, which guaranteed the sanctity of national borders,” Yanukovych said. “That is dangerous for Europe, and for the entire world.”
Kosovo’s declaration of independence threatens the security of both Ukraine and the world, said Oleksandr Kuzmuk, former defense minister and Party of Regions deputy.
Communist Party of Ukraine leader Petro Symonenko on Feb. 18 asked Yushchenko to end the Ukrainian peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and bring peacekeepers home. Ukraine joined the Kosovo mission in 1999, days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which placed Kosovo under interim UN administration.
Ukrainian leaders were cautious because their nation may eventually face a similar situation with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, mostly populated by Russians and Tatars, Ukraine’s biggest ethnic minorities.
The chair of Crimea’s parliament, Anatoliy Hrytsenko, said he believes there is no danger of Crimea following Kosovo’s example and splitting from Ukraine. “Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine,” he said. “In Crimea, there is a clear system of local government, and separatist sentiments do not exist.”
He said the decision on Kosovo’s independence violated international law.
“Consequently, I believe this will be a bad precedent capable of destabilizing the situation, and not only in Western Europe,” he said.
Meanwhile, Crimean Tatars view their situation entirely different than what’s happening in Kosovo, said Crimean Tatar Majilis Chairman and Ukrainian parliamentarian Mustafa Dzhemiliev.
“As for Crimean Tatars, who are a native nation here, we made our decision long ago,” he said. “We have declared that we see the future of Crimea in the composition of Ukraine with national and territorial autonomy.”
