The essence of the agreement between Yanukovych and Putin is much broader and complex than just some agreements that have been partially revealed to Ukraine and the world. The results of these agreements will be gradually implemented in the long-term strategic perspective until the creation of a single state entity under the complete domination of Russia and the gradual absorption of our state sovereignty.
What Yanukovych did on December 17, 2013 is much worse than simply joining the Customs Union. These were the first irreversible changes. Yanukovych no longer has the political freedom to make any independent decisions on the international arena. As of December 17, 2013, any steps by Ukraine towards Europe, including the signing of an association agreement between Ukraine and the EU, are impossible.
On December 17, 2013 Yanukovych annulled Ukraine as an independent entity, as a full-fledged participant in international politics, and put all international level decisions that concern Ukraine in the hands of Vladimir Putin.
It is also clear that after December 17 all programs aimed at Ukraine’s energy independence from Russia will be suspended because instead of introducing the market price for gas they have reinstated the political price along with Ukraine’s rejection of all energy diversification. The modernization of the country has again stopped.
After the signing of the agreement on December 17, Russian gas will not be cheaper for Ukraine because the annual interest that our country will pay for the 15 billion loan will be equal to the “discount” for gas. But the package of agreements signed on December 17 with every year will drag us deeper and deeper into financial and energy slavery with no easy way out.
On December 17, we as a country were stripped of all the independence from our northern neighbor that we worked so hard to gain over the past 22 years. Yanukovych didn’t single-handedly decide to hand over control of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. This decision reached by a consensus of all the leaders of the major oligarch clans with whom Yanukovych runs Ukraine.
This board of oligarch advisors consists of nine individuals. They, along with Yanukovych, made the decision to merge Ukraine with Russia on the molecular level with the complete surrender of the country as a sovereign state. And this is much more complicated that Ukraine just joining the Customs Union.
They also began the process of unification, which will include the creation of private Russian-Ukrainian mega corporations. They will soon privatize the remaining state monopolies in Ukraine in all spheres, from military to information.
Yanukovych and his oligarchs agreed to the merger of Ukraine and Russia for the sole reason of maintaining political power and misappropriating state resources of Ukraine. They decided they can do this only under the cover and protection of a new post-soviet empire. The life of Ukraine’s corrupt regime is incompatible with the values and traditions of the democratic world. This explains the choice Yanukovych and his inner circle made in favor of subordination to Russia and against European integration.
The only way out of this dangerous situation is the immediate peaceful removal of Yanukovych from power through constitutional means based on the will of the people. The removal of Yanukovych, not his marionettes – the government, NSDC or individual ministers.
If we put this off until 2015 we will lose Ukraine. I repeat – the 2015 presidential elections will not be fair, just as the elections were not fair in the five problematic districts last Sunday. Yanukovych must first be removed peacefully and constitutional now, and then the system of government can be changed, agreement with the EU signed and other useful things accomplished. As long as Yanukovych is in power, the existence of an independent Ukrainian state is under threat.
I appeal to everyone willing to fight for our Ukrainian independence against the almost imminent threat of neocolonialism and dictatorship to raise an army of millions and put one demand to Yanukovych – immediate snap elections for president of Ukraine. We should use all legal means to ensure they are held.
I also appeal to the democratic world: don’t leave Ukraine alone with the club of post-soviet dictators, don’t let them break the people that went out onto the EuroMaidan despite blood and fear. Strengthen the faith of the Ukrainian people in the values that the democratic world has been fighting for so hard. Yanukovych is laundering the dirty money of his clans in European countries, using this dirty money to buy property, yachts, planes and “trinkets” throughout the democratic world. The families of Yanukovych’s clan system are living in democratic countries on this corrupt money.
All this is allowed to go on while Yanukovych drowns the peaceful student maidan in blood, brings new criminal charges against civil society leaders and activists every day and throws them in jail, ignores the will of the people to be part of a united Europe. I ask the democratic world now to forbid such double standards and not to legitimize the Ukrainian regime by believing its insincere pro-European rhetoric. This could lead to the birth of a new aggressive empire on the territory of the former Soviet Union that will distort the development of all humanity.
My last appeal is to the opposition. Don’t be afraid of anything! Lead the Ukrainian people to victory over dictatorship by uniting your efforts with the democratic world. The only thing you can’t do is give up and find a convenient reason to retreat. Don’t leave the Maidans until a new, democratic, pro-European president is elected early in Ukraine and the entire system of life in Ukraine begins to change. To retreat now and stop fighting would be the worst betrayal of the Ukrainian people.
I trust that no Ukrainian will allow this!
Glory to Ukraine!
