CIS

CIS

Poroshenko: Ukraine ready to declare martial law in country, if Minsk meeting fails

11 February 2015 13:27 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. “The Ukrainian government is ready to declare a martial law, if the Minsk meeting fails and situation becomes tense in the east of the country,” Ukrainian President Poroshenko described his negotiating position at a cabinet session, APA reports citing censor.net and 112.ua. He added that if no deal is reached, Ukraine will declare martial law, a move his government has previously rejected. “The cabinet, the parliament and I are all prepared to declare martial law. If there is a more serious escalation of the conflict caused by the irresponsible actions of the attacker, I wouldn’t linger on making this decision,” he warned.

Poroshenko said that Ukraine the European Union (Hollande, Merkel) "will stand with the same position at the Minsk summit, and will speak with one voice."

"Yesterday we had several successful operations (around Debaltseve), and planned a successful counter-offensive with the Azov Battalions. As a result of the counter-attack, we moved the line of contact exactly back to the Minsk line. I don't want anyone to interpret it is an offensive. No, we get back to the line of the Minsk agreement," Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko said he will press for an unconditional cease-fire because "every day Ukraine pays with tens of lives. This barbarian, animal, non-human aggression is costing lives. We need consolidation and unity more than ever, responsibility and effectiveness of all branches of power."

“Federalization is a seed that will not survive in Ukraine's ground”, he said.

The attacks by Russian forces and their proxies on residential areas in Mariupol and Kramatorsk are "crimes against humanity."