Dmytro Yarosh's statement about "the special status" of the occupied territories

After the visit to Kyiv of Victoria Nuland, the United States Assistant Secretary of State, the information has appeared that was partially repudiated by Mrs. Nuland after a wave of indignation in the Ukrainian society - that the United States is expecting almost immediate implementation of amendments to the Constitution from Ukraine as to the special status of Donbas, amnesty of mercenaries and conduction of the election on the occupied territories.

First of all, no other single country is able to hold the elections on the territories occupied by an enemy. Initially, these territories should be freed.

Secondly, the Russian propaganda has received a de facto monopoly in shaping a part of our countrymen's worldview because our government was incapable for 20 years to provide the Ukrainian product of good quality in the Donbas region. During two years of war our fellow citizens have been consuming ONLY the anti-Ukrainian information. To conduct the elections under such conditions in the Donbas is same as to conclude a peace with Germany in the 40's of the last century and hold the elections there. The leading figures of the Nazi regime would certainly win in these, so called completely honest, elections under the international supervision.

The invaders, collaborators, international terrorists and simply the government criminals should lay down their arms in the first place - under the guarantees of amnesty for the low rank participants of antigovernmental formations and who are not implicated in the grave crimes. The constitutional system should be fully restored, and a lengthy procedure must be held, that is similar to the German denazification. Having received the guarantees that none of the state criminals will be in power, the elections can be held.

Thirdly, the proposed changes to the Constitution are not the compromise but rather the capitulation to the enemy, because Russia has demanded it from the very beginning.

The elections on the occupied territories and "the special status" would mean that Ukraine will receive the territories in its unity that are de facto controlled by Russia with a help of local antigovernment powers, and it will be forced to carry out the pro-Russian politics by their demands.

Our guys fought, died and received the wounds; they have returned to combat from the hospitals or have become disabled for the rest of their lives; their families carried and continue carrying the burden of war; the volunteers, who still continue to hold the front, have fought and continue fighting, but not for that.

The pressure on Ukraine from some Western countries is caused by one reason: a mediator in the negotiations always insists on concessions from that side that looks to be weaker. Maidan and two years of war have changed us, but didn't change those who didn't participate in that. In Ukraine some still see, by inertia, the object but not a subject of geopolitics. They always put the pressure on us demanding not to seek a withdrawal from the USSR or to agree with Yanukovych. We must stop submissively playing the weak one, and the pressure will gradually diminish.

This is entirely consistent with the statements of the incumbent President. We were weak before the Minsk-1 but right now our army and other structures, being associated with defence of the state, have been reorganized, strengthened and became stronger. So there is no longer any sense to support a format of talks that are harmful for the national interests.

The talks with the so-called "DPR" or "LPR”, which some countries demand from Ukraine, are the violation of the fundamental principals in the international community - there can be no negotiations with the terrorists. Moreover, when they have attacked Debaltseve right after the Minsk-2, the terrorists showed that all the agreements would be violated by them the next day.

Taken into consideration the above said, we insist on leaving the format of the Minsk talks and beginning a qualitatively new international cooperation as to the joint defense from a country-aggressor, inviting Poland, the Baltic countries, Romania and Turkey to this process.

We remember every drop of blood shed for the Ukrainian Donbas and sovereign Ukraine, and we will not allow anybody to encroach on that, which it was spilled for.

We are the statesmen. We will not surrender a single inch of our land.

We have learned to be strong. Victory will be ours.

Dmytro Yarosh
The Leader of National Movement "The Yarosh Statehood Initiative"