On
E. Ukraine
Voting, US
Slams Kremlin
Social Media,
Mistral Not
Mentioned
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
10 -- On the
eve of the
planned referendums
in Eastern
Ukraine, two
days after the
IMF wouldn't
say it was
concerned
about them,
the US State
Department
issued this:
As
the United
States has
said, the
referenda
being planned
for May 11 in
portions of
eastern
Ukraine by
armed
separatist
groups are
illegal
under
Ukrainian law
and are an
attempt to
create further
division and
disorder. If
these
referenda go
forward, they
will violate
international
law and the
territorial
integrity of
Ukraine. The
United States
will not
recognize the
results of
these illegal
referenda.
In
addition, we
are
disappointed
that the
Russian
government has
not
used its
influence to
forestall
these
referenda
since
President
Putin’s
suggestion on
May 7 that
they be
postponed,
when he also
claimed that
Russian forces
were pulling
back from the
Ukrainian
border.
Unfortunately,
we
still see no
Russian
military
movement away
from the
border, and
today
Kremlin-backed
social media
and news
stations
encouraged
residents of
eastern
Ukraine to
vote tomorrow,
one even
offering
instructions
for polling
stations in
Moscow.
Russian state
media
also continue
to strongly
back the
referenda with
no mention of
Putin’s call
for
postponement.
The
focus of the
international
community must
now be on
supporting the
Ukrainian
government’s
consistent
efforts to
hold a
presidential
election on
May 25.
International
observers note
that
preparations
for these
elections are
proceeding
apace and in
accordance
with
international
standards,
which will
allow all
Ukrainian
people a
voice in the
future of
their country.
According to
recent
independent
polls, a
substantial
majority of
Ukrainians
intend to
vote on May
25. Any
efforts to
disrupt this
democratic
process will
be seen
clearly for
what they are,
attempts to
deny the
rights of
Ukraine’s
citizens to
express their
political will
freely.
As
President
Obama and
Chancellor
Merkel stated
on May 2, the
Russian
leadership
must know that
if it
continues to
destabilize
eastern
Ukraine and
disrupt this
month’s
presidential
election, we
will
move quickly
to impose
greater costs
on Russia.
The
Russian
government can
still choose
to implement
its Geneva
commitments,
as well as
follow through
on President
Putin’s
statement of
May 7. We call
on them to do
so.
While citing
Germany's
Merkel, the
State
Department
spokesperson's
statement
doesn't
mention she
met May 10
with France's
Francois
Hollande, who
re-affirmed
his country's
sale of
Mistral warships
to Russia,
click here for
that.
But is the
International
Monetary Fund,
given its new
program with
Ukraine,
concerned
about the
referendums
still slated
to
go forward
this Sunday,
May 11?
IMF
spokesperson
Gerry Rice at
the Fund's
embargoed May
8 press
briefing
resisted using
the word
“concern,”
saying that he
wouldn't
speculate.
Asked if the
more than $3
billion
already
disbursed
might
be used for
military
purposes, or
to re-pay
Russia, Rice
said it was
for budget
support, to
stabilize
public
finances and
for budget
deficit.
But
many have said
the IMF
position that
if Kyiv
further loses
control of
the East the
program would
have to be
revised
creates an
incentive to
use force. Not
surprisingly,
Rice did not
agree with
this. But the
incentives
remain that
way.
Rice
was asked to
state what the
IMF's interest
rate for
Ukraine is,
but
didn't, saying
it is a matter
of public
record.
Inner
City Press
submitted five
questions two
of which, on
Bosnia and
Ghana, were
answered at
the briefing
and will be
separately
reported.
Watch this
site.
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