Vitali Klitschko: Influential Donbass people should condemn separatism

Leader of the UDAR party Vitali Klitschko calls on influential Ukrainians from eastern regions to define their position clearly.

He said it addressing the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday, April 8.

Vitali Klitschko commented on the situation in the country's eastern regions and called to struggle against “banditism and revanchism”. He said the “local influential people”, who coordinate their actions with foreign secret services, stood behind the increased separatism moods. Klitschko criticised the passive behaviour of the local law enforcement bodies, NEWSru.ua writes.

“The influential people of the Donbass region have not condemned the actions by separatists. Let's put it straight: their position will be a call to the Donbass citizens not to yield to provocations orchestrated by bandits, or they should explain their actions to the law enforcement bodies,” the UDAR leader thinks.

Klitschko expressed his party's proposals on solving the situation in Crimea.

“We need to set a high-level group of representatives of relative ministries and agencies to solve the issues on Crimea,” he said adding that the group should solve the problems of the troops withdrawal, refugees and protection of interests of the Ukrainians in Crimea.

Klitschko called on MPs to support the law on the occupied territory.

The separatists seized the administration building in Kharkiv, the administration and national security buildings in Donetsk and the national security building in Luhansk on April 6—7.

The separatists proclaimed the Independent Donetsk Republic in Donetsk. None representatives of the local authorities were present during the proclamation of the republic, so the decision cannot be considered to have been taken by the legal regional council.