By Vestnik Kavkaza
Following the Lithuanian government, which stated that it would allocate 43.5 thousand euros for treatment of injured Ukrainian opposition activists, the Foreign Ministry of Estonia decided to allocate 50 thousand euros for medical care of injured rebels in Ukraine. “We want to help those who were hurt on Ukrainian streets,” the Ukrainian Weekly Mirror cites the Foreign Minister of Estonia, Urmas Paet. “By supporting an active local organization, we can be sure that our aid will be brought to many people who need it in Ukraine.” The minister added that political negotiations should be conducted in Ukraine and violence should be stopped. The Foreign Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt supports Paet: “Political negotiations see no progress. We hope they will be resumed.”
Commenting on the situation in Ukraine for Vestnik Kavkaza, Alexei Mukhin, director of the Center for Political Information, stated: “The scenario of development in Ukraine and around it is very interesting. Unfortunately, at the moment it does not depend on Ukraine itself, its leadership or even the participants in the events on the Maidan. Unfortunately, it depends on external factors. It is clear that Ukraine is now an apple of discord between Russia, the EU and the U.S. One can call it a platzdarm on which geopolitical issues are resolved.”
According to Mukhin, “Ukrainians who argue that Ukraine is the center of the world appear to be partly right. In fact, Russia, the U.S. and the EU are undoubtedly interested in Ukraine as a transit corridor and as a buffer zone between the EU and the Eurasian economic project, which is developed and supported by Russia. The fact that the EU and the U.S do not accept the establishment and development of the Customs Union also plays a certain role here, while it is clear that Ukraine will sooner or later join it. Most likely, in order to avoid it, the European Union and the United States are ready to do a great deal of things.”
In the near future we will know exactly what they are ready to do, Mukhin thinks. “Here we are talking about a backstage game, and the game is very intense. More and more political, social and economic elements are becoming involved in events in Ukraine. I am talking about the involvement of the so-called oligarchs, entrepreneurs in political events. Perhaps they will become the ones who would help Ukraine to solve some of its problems. In fact, Ukrainian oligarchs play a very important part in the activities of the authorities, as well of the opposition. Therefore, I believe that the introduction of these forces will sooner or later lead to the phasing out of the events or their transformation into a more rational political movement. Thus, there definitely are prospects for resolving the conflict.”
