Uladzimir Matskevich: Russia issues an ultimatum to the European policy of neighborly relations

If the European Union turns a blind eye to the actions of Russia in Eastern Europe, it will throw the situation in the region off many steps back.

Uladzimir Matskevich, methodologist and philosopher, the head of the Board of the International  Consortium “EuroBelarus” commented on the recent events in Ukraine in his interview with the “EuroBelarus” Information Service.

- Anti-terrorist Centre of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has been brought into a state of readiness in connection with the threat of terrorist attacks in Ukraine. Does it mean that they are preparing to introduce the state of emergency, the probability of which has been discussed recently?

- It is possible; though not necessarily. It is hard for me to assume that now Yanukovich and the Ukrainian regime will implement the laws adopted on January, 16 and later cancelled by Verkhovna Rada. The laws that supposedly continue to operate due to errors.

I do not think that it will be profitable for the Ukrainian leadership to introduce the state of emergency. It will only aggravate the situation.

Although, on the other side, it is possible that the situation is going out of control. The games that the regime started with the use of “titushki” (people used by police as provocateurs at Maidan) are very dangerous as they are fraught with different destructive consequences.

The situation in Ukraine is extremely explosive that is why I do not think he will agree to sharpen it.

- By a mysterious coincidence the Ukrainian authorities made the decision to alert the Anti-terrorist Centre of SSU after the business visit of Yanukovich to Russia. Did Moscow untie the hands of the Ukrainian leader; did they give him “carte-blanche”?

- I would interpret this differently: once again Moscow pushed on Yanukovich. Let me repeat that the introduction of the state of emergency, increased military pressure on the democratic forces and civil society is not beneficial for Yanukovich himself. In this situation we cannot say that Moscow allowed him to do something he does not really want to do.

Moscow could require decisive actions from Yanukovich, but it remains a question whether he will implement them or he will just simulate them.

- Maidan claims that Yanukovich is deliberately aggravating the political situation in Ukraine.  What is the evidence?

- If you stand on the opposite side of the barricades, the decisions of the authorities may be seen as aggravating. The situation is very severe on both sides, that is why the both should exercise restraint in their assessment and actions.  The reaction of the opposition, the civil society and Maidan is quite evident.

The best thing would be if Klitchko could clarify the situation at private a meeting with Yanukovich.

-The opposition has almost prepared a national strike, Maidan is creating self-defense units, the demand for Yanukovich to resign sounds more and more often. Can we say that Maidan has turned out to be more of a personal character – against Yanukovich?

- I will agree to this. It is true because the parliament of Ukraine is very dependent. It is a puppet in the hands of various political forces; to be precise, in the hands of the regime, as the opposition forms the minority of the parliament. The new parliament is not new in its essence therefore all claims may be directed against Yanukovich, he embodies all the complaints.

- To preserve peace in Eastern Europe, the West should primarily focus on Moscow rather than Kiev. The EU should prevent the development of Georgian situation in Ukraine as says Andreas Umland, a professor of the Department of Political Science from National University “Kievo-Mohilian Academy”. Does Ukraine truly face the Georgian problem?

- I agree with this approach, because the destructive position of Russia in the development of Ukrainian conflict, in its protracting is becoming more and more apparent. The destructive position of Russia is evident to many European politicians, even to those who have been long turning a blind eye to the actions of Kremlin while listening to the righteous speeches.

Many European politicians are now shocked. Even those who have long supported the position of Kremlin in Eastern Europe now have to admit the evident.  The attitude of the EU to Russian policy towards the countries of Eastern Europe and the “Eastern Partnership” must be fundamentally changed.

If in case with Ukraine the pressure on Azarov and Yanukovich, the aim of which was to wreck the signing of the association agreement, failed to be easy and painless, there is a slightly different situation in Armenia where the society is not that pro-European. But the actions of Kremlin are the same. Russia literally issues an ultimatum to the European policy of neighborly relationship.  The European Union has nothing to do but either to close the eye on the actions of Russia or to resist. If the EU does not oppose to the Kremlin, its inertness will result in the regress of the situation. Then we will have to start the neighborly relations in the region from the very beginning.