On February 28, 2014 the Upper House of the Russian Parliament (Council of Federation) has unanimously authorized the use of military force against Ukraine, upon request of the President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

 

Russian troops have already illegally entered the territory of Ukraine in Crimea region planning to expand their military further, under illegal excuse of protecting the Russian speaking population.

 

These actions by the Russian Federation constitute an act of aggression against the state of Ukraine, a severe violation of international law posing a serious threat to sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country as well as peace and stability in the whole region.

 

The Russian Federation refused to comply with its obligations as State-Guarantor of Ukraine under Budapest Memorandum, obliging Russia as well as other Permanent Members of the Security Council to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

 

Russia officially rejected Ukrainian proposal to hold immediate bilateral consultations (under Article 7 of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation of 1997).

 

Russian Federation brutally violated the basic principles of Charter of the United Nations obliging all member states to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

 

Facing the announced military intervention in Ukraine, the Government of Ukraine has requested to hold an urgent open meeting of the Security Council in order to take all available measures to stop the aggression.

 

Furthermore, Ukraine addresses the Guarantor States under Budapest Memorandum (USA, UK, France and China) to react immediately to prevent the intervention.

 

In view of the Council of Federation of the Russian Federation’s approval of President Putin’s request to use the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the territory of Ukraine, on March 2, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine conducted an extraordinary session, on which several resolutions were approved, in particular:

 

1. Resolution on the Appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to Parliaments of States – Guarantors of Ukraine’s Security and to International Organizations, in which the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stressing the inadmissibility of relevant actions by the Russian Federation as a permanent member of the UN Security Council related to Ukraine by the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership, requested the parliaments of states-parties to the Budapest Memorandum and international organizations to:

 

- send special monitoring missions to examine the real situation in Ukraine;

 

- request their governments to provide necessary assistance in securing nuclear facilities in Ukraine.

 

2. Statement by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which, in particular, stressed that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an inalienable component of Ukraine, the territory of which is covered by the Constitution and laws of Ukraine; it requested the Russian side to adhere firmly to the basic agreements on the presence of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in the territory of Ukraine by immediate withdrawal of troops to their stations, and requested Russian President Vladimir Putin to prevent the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from entering the territory of Ukraine.

 

3. Resolution on the Support of the Armed Forces and other Military Units of Ukraine.

 

Also on Murch 3, 2014 Acting President of Ukraine, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olexander Turchynov issued Decree enacted the Decision of the National Security and Defense Council on the Urgent Measures to Ensure National Security, Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine dated March 1, 2014. According to the decision, the following steps will be taken immediately:

 

- the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military units of Ukraine have placed in the highest level of combat alert;

 

- training of persons subject to conscription for military service will be conducted as necessary; its time and duration will be determined by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

 

- necessary financial, material, technical and other resources will be allocated to ensure proper protection of security, rights and interests of citizens of Ukraine, sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of state borders of Ukraine;

 

- requests will be sent to foreign ministries of some of the signatory states of the Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons dated December 5, 1994, in particular, to the USA and the UK, to ensure Ukraine’s security and conduct relevant consultations of officials in Kyiv;

 

- security of energy and critical infrastructure objects of Ukraine will be increased;

 

- a crisis center will be created to react to the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol; it will be headed by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

 

Ukraine urges all Member-states of the United Nations to demonstrate solidarity with Ukrainian nation, to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

 

Embassy of Ukraine

 

Pretoria, March 3, 2014