MOSCOW, May 21 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow regrets that representatives of Ukraine's regions were not included in the discussion on the peace memorandum adopted by the Ukrainian parliament, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, ratified the text of a "memorandum of peace and consent" after two months of armed clashes in the country’s eastern Donetsk region.
The memorandum calls for the pulling back of the country’s military to their permanent bases, banning criminal charges against protest activists, and including the Russian language in the new constitution.
"Unfortunately, it must be stated that during the discussion of the memorandum, the representatives of the Ukrainian regions who have earned the trust of the people, did not attend," Karasin said.
The diplomat called the memorandum the first distinct, though late step in fulfilling the April 17 Geneva Agreements and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s "roadmap."
The document stipulates that the country may join any political or economic union only if the majority of the population votes in favor in a nationwide referendum.
It also renounces the use of force by all sides, condemns violence, and envisages constitutional reforms to decentralize power in the country.
Ukraine underwent a regime change in February when the country’s parliament, backed by far-right movements, voted to strip President Viktor Yanukovych of his powers, amended the constitution and scheduled early presidential election for May 25. A total of 23 candidates were registered to take part in the vote, but several later withdrew.
In the run-up to the elections, federalist and nationalist forces have clashed in several deadly skirmishes in the south and east of the country, especially in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which declared independence after referendums earlier this month. Pro-federalization activists have accused Kiev of launching special operations involving military helicopters in the regions.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over the military operation in the southeast of Ukraine, saying it had blocked "any real step to de-escalate the situation in the country."
