Volodymyr Hroysman: The communication window with eastern regions of Ukraine will enlarge after cessation of Russian aggression

During a meeting with the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Building and Housing and Communal Services Volodymyr Hroysman British Parliament’s members expressed understanding of what responsibility was placed on Ukrainian Government, which despite the outer pressure and aggression by Russia was introducing reforms into the authority system and local self-governing.

A group which is comprised of members of all parties represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain is staying in Ukraine targeting to form an objective vision about the state of matters in the country, the process of intrdocuing reforms and the situation joined with aggression by Russia, and also to discuss what assistance for the Government of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine must be provided by the European countries and, notably of Great Britain, to be effective.

According to the Vice Premier, the spirits in the east of Ukraine are caused mostly by disappointment felt by the people from the previous authorities. “The people residing in a number of eastern regions have a feeling they were betrayed. Betrayed by the people they had trusted and supported. Every person takes that as a personal betrayal. They were used, they were not respected, they were abandoned,” he noted.

This situation is actively used by the Russian propaganda, which instills a federalization idea in them. According to Volodymyr Hroysman, a lot of people in the eastern region have no chance yet to consciously evaluate the benefits of the local self-government reform – an opportunity to manage the territories they live in, have a certain financial resource from local and a part of national taxes for the development of those territories, elect and control the local authorities, and as a result to improve their wealth. The attempts to destabilize the eastern regions are taken, notably, to hamper a dialog between the Government and the residents about the prospects how to develop the country.

“The first step is cessation of the aggression. When we stop, the communication window with the residents of the eastern regions will enlarge,” the Vice Prime Minister stressed. 

Volodymyr Hroysman expressed hope the civilized world would decisively and immediately support Ukraine, as the battle is not just for Ukraine, but for the European values in whole.

In turn, the head of the British Parliament’s group, a Conservative MP Tobias Elwood stressed that the whole civilized world strongly condemns the aggression policy carried out by Russia. “It is absolutely unacceptable in the XXI century when one country conquers a neigbouring country of another country,” he said. Thus, the British parliamentarians highly evaluated courage and resoluteness demonstrated by Ukrainian people in the fight for the democracy.

On the outcomes of their visit a group of parliamentarians intends to inform the Great Britain leaders about the real state of matters in Ukraine and retell the propositions of the members of Ukrainian Government and the Verkhovna Rada in terms of issues in which Ukraine counts on immediate and powerful support. These propositions will be included into an effective support plan being elaborated presently by the United Kingdom.