UKRAINE: Donetsk separatist leader says Ukrainian soldiers to be treated as occpuiers in country's east

Record ID: 450886

  • Title: UKRAINE: Donetsk separatist leader says Ukrainian soldiers to be treated as occpuiers in country's east
  • Date: 12th May 2014
  • Summary: DONETSK, UKRAINE (MAY 12, 2014) (REUTERS) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, SAYING: "The first steps would be to build the social economic sector and to build the military, which means to create an army because on our territory right now there is an ongoing civil war and what started against the people living here on their land. So the steps will be to offer these now illegal military units to either join us and come on the people's side or leave our territory or otherwise be declared occupiers." PUSHILIN WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, SAYING: "I don't have personal contact with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and there cannot be such contacts since we don't have the official results of the referendum yet. What will happen next? I don't exclude anything." FLAG OF DONETSK REPUBLIC (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, SAYING: "Anything can happen but the possibility of independence is quite small (REPORTER ASKING OFF CAMERA, 'WHAT CAN IT BE?'). Possibly it will be a federation of a confederation." DONETSK REPUBLIC FLAG CREST (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, SAYING: "The corridor for dialogue (with Ukraine) is quite small and has practically closed now. Even theoretically there can be no direct dialogue already." MAP OF UKRAINE AND THE EAST WITH 'RUSSIA' WRITTEN BY HAND ON IT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, SAYING: "Dialogue is possible. It can only be about the exchange of hostages and only in the presence of a mediator. We see Russia as such a mediator." PUSHILIN WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, SAYING: "If criminal pressure from Kiev increases I cannot exclude the possibility of requesting a contingent of peacekeepers (REPORTER ASKING, 'FROM WHERE?') Russia, among others, but not only from there (REPORTER ASKING, 'CAN YOU REQUEST PEACE KEEPER CONTINGENT FROM THE UN?') I would not address the UN because they are defending Kiev's interests right now unfortunately." PUSHILIN WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LEADER OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED 'DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC', DENIS PUSHILIN, SAYING: "We occasionally meet. Renat Akhmetov has told us his vision. We put it to the people. We vote on it and we express the people's opinion back to Akhmetov. We are having such meetings." PUSHILIN WITH JOURNALISTS
  • Embargoed: 27th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1WW6T3233QTI0OR4E0K0U5K6I
  • Story Text: The leader of the self-declared "Donetsk People's Republic", Denis Pushilin, said on Monday (May 12) that Ukrainian soldiers would be treated as occupiers on republic land and that they he could not discount calling on Russia, and other countries, to deploy a peacekeeping force in the region.
    The Donetsk region declared a landslide victory on Sunday (May 11), in a self-rule referendum, and on Monday explained how they would go about leading the new republic.
    A priority, Pushilin said, was building an army to defend themselves against Ukrainian soldiers he considers "occupiers".
    "The first steps would be to build the social economic sector and to build the military, which means to create an army because on our territory right now there is an ongoing civil war and what started against the people living here on their land. So the steps will be to offer these now illegal military units to either join us and come on the people's side or leave our territory or otherwise be declared occupiers," Pushilin said.
    Ukrainian leader Oleksander Turchinov accused Russia of working to overthrow legitimate state power in Ukraine on Monday after the rebel referendum on self-rule in eastern regions.
    Russia said it respected the outcome of the referendum and that the results should be implemented peacefully. It did not say what further action it might take.
    Pushilin suggested he may contact Russian President Vladimir Putin after the announcement of the official results.
    "I don't have personal contact with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and there cannot be such contacts since we don't have the official results of the referendum yet. What will happen next? I don't exclude anything," Pushilin said.
    However, Pushilin said the chance of surviving as an independent republic was small, and the possibility of dialogue with Kiev was slim.
    "The corridor for dialogue (with Ukraine) is quite small and has practically closed now. Even theoretically there can be no direct dialogue already," he said, adding, "Dialogue is possible. It can only be about the exchange of hostages and only in the presence of a mediator. We see Russia as such a mediator."
    Pushilin did not discount calling on Russia for help, and said he was open to following the republic's Luhansk neighbours who, according to RIA news agency, said they would call for a second referendum on joining the Russian Federation.
    "If criminal pressure from Kiev increases I cannot exclude the possibility of requesting a contingent of peacekeepers" from Russia, Pushilin said
    Asked whether he would seek support from Donetsk oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's wealthiest businessman, Pushilin confirmed that he had held meetings with him but would not be drawn into details of the content of those talks.
    "We occasionally meet. Renat Akhmetov has told us his vision. We put it to the people. We vote on it and we express the people's opinion back to Akhmetov. We are having such meetings," Pushilin said.
    The referendum opened a new phase of uncertainty in a country historically divided between a Russian-speaking east and a more westward looking west.
    The authorities are wary of the danger of clashes between security forces and crowds that could stir wider bloodshed.
    Russian President Vladimir Putin did not comment personally at his state residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi but the Kremlin released a statement on the referendum, saying it respected "the will of the people of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and are counting on practical implementation of the outcome of the referendum in a civilised manner, without any repeat of violence and through dialogue.
    The European Union declared the referendum illegal and prepared to increase pressure on Russia on Monday by taking a first step towards extending sanctions to companies, as well as people, linked to Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
    Western leaders, faced with Russian assertiveness not seen since the Cold War, have threatened more sanctions in the key areas of energy, financial services and engineering if Moscow disrupts a presidential election planned in Ukraine on May 25.
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