Case Study # 0517-02 PKSOI TRENDS GLOBAL CASE STUDY SERIES
ic , judicial , and financial reforms to bring its policies and legislation in line with those of the European Union . The EU agreed to provide Ukraine with political and financial support and preferential access to EU markets . 47
Meanwhile , starting on April 7 , 2014 , pro-Russian leaders in the Donbass ( Don River Basin ) in eastern Ukraine ( primarily in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions ) began fighting for eastern Ukraine to separate from Ukraine . 48 A statement issued by the separatists reads : “ Without support it will be hard for us to stand against the junta in Kiev ,” and “ We are addressing Russian President Putin because we can only entrust our security to Russia .” 49
Russia began amassing tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine and sending large white-canvas cargo trucks labeled “ Humanitarian Assistance ” across the Ukrainian border , which it did not let Ukrainian authorities inspect .
At various international fora in Vienna from 2014 through 2016 , Ukrainian authorities repeatedly laid out photos of Russian soldiers ’ passports and Russian heavy armaments not contained in the Ukrainian military inventory that it had seized , demonstrating direct Russian involvement in the fighting . While Russia has continued to deny direct involvement , it has made countercharges against Ukraine and Western countries for inflaming the situation and causing massive numbers of casualties , IDPs and refugees , labeling the pro-Russian population as the victims .
In a press conference on March 4 , 2014 President Putin claimed that the separatists were “ local self-defense forces .” He further stated : “ Our actions are often described by the West as not legitimate , but look at U . S . operations in Afghanistan , Iraq and Libya ,” he said , according to a BBC translation of his comments . “ Our actions are legitimate from the point of view of international law , because Ukraine ’ s legitimate president [ Yanukovich ] asked us for help ... Defending these people is in our interests ... We do not want to ‘ enslave ’ anyone .” 50
At the height of the battle in the city of Debal ’ tseve in January – February 2015 , Russian ground forces in the Donbass region were estimated at approximately 10,000 , with another 26,000 located in Crimea . Russian shelling and siege operations in the city of 25,000 , located on the border between Donetsk and Luhansk , killed some 6,000 civilians , and forced another 8,000 to flee the city . Ukrainian forces including the 128th Mechanized Brigade , Donbass Battalion , and other units were all but destroyed . 51
On April 28 , 2016 Ukraine underscored Russian involvement in a UN Security Council briefing : “ Russian generals and military officers provide direct command and control , while Russian proxies ruin the socioeconomic infrastructure of Donbas , once Ukraine ’ s industrial powerhouse . Ukraine has lost more than 20 percent of its gross domestic product due to Russian aggression .”
Russia responded in the same briefing with the following statement : “ The Ukrainian side is still using heavy weapons in Donbass , where civilians are suffering . It is extremely important to implement the package of measures contained in the Minsk agreements ; that is the only way forward to ending the situation in Donbas and all related problems .” 52
On July 7 , 2016 U . S . Ambassador to the OSCE Daniel Baer said : “ The United States remains fully committed to supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine – a peaceful resolution that recognizes and respects that nation ’ s sovereignty , independence , and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders . We once again call on Russia and the separatists to stop the violence , fully implement their commitments in the Minsk agreements , including granting the OSCE full access and guaranteeing the safety of monitors . Ukraine cannot be expected to make progress on the political elements of the Minsk agreements until there is a sustained ceasefire , pullback of heavy weapons from the line of contact , and unimpeded access for OSCE monitors , up to and including Ukraine ’ s internationally recognized border with Russia – three commitments that Russia made in February 2015 , but which we still not have seen fully implemented .” 53