Yatsenyuk Pledges to Reclaim Crimea, Donbass, Pleads for Washington's Help

According to the head of the Ukrainian government, his country “is fighting a war on two fronts: the one you see on television is taking place in the east of our country.” The second one, Yatsenyuk claims, is “less visible, but just as important. It is Ukraine’s war against the Soviet past and the legacy of corruption and misrule that has held us back for so many years. These battles must be fought and won together because they are essentially about the same thing — Ukraine’s desire to build a prosperous and democratic future.”

The politician gave his vision of “what is at stake”.

“The great achievement of a 'Europe whole and free' that marked the end of the Cold War is under direct attack from resurgent Russian authoritarianism and imperialism. Ukraine is bearing the brunt of that attack, but the consequences of allowing our independence to be crushed would not be contained within Ukraine. It would give rise to new threats and crises that would be even more difficult and costly to resolve. The democratic idea itself would be undermined.”

Yatsenyuk also says that President Putin is afraid of Ukraine and gives his reasons why.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin wants us to fail because he knows that democratic ideas are contagious and that a free Ukraine would set an unwelcome example at home. Russia’s military intervention is an attempt to prevent change by forcing us to choose between security and reform.”

The prime minister however confessed that Kiev still needs support in the form of US sanctions against Russia.

“We will need more support in the form of US bilateral aid, technical assistance, private investment and leadership within international financial institutions. We also need international sanctions on Russia to remain in place until the Minsk Agreement has been fully implemented.”

Later on Monday, the politician pledged that Kiev will regain control over Crimea and Donbass.

“We are convinced that we will regain control over Donetsk, Lugasnk and Crimea. And we will control our territory,” Yatsenyuk claimed while addressing the American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Washington.

According to the politician, the unity of the European Union and the US “is the best recipe and the best answer to any aggressor and any aggression. The only strong answer to those who want to overturn the world order and ‘draw’ new borders after the Second World War, to those who do not respect rights and freedom, does not respect democracy, does not respect our nations. Those are our enemies.”

He called the military conflict in the east of his country “a battle between light and darkness".