Remarks by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on February 4, 2015

I start from implementation of key commissions, those given at a State Commission for Emergency Situations and fulfilled by the SES and the MIA. Separate gratitude here is for the operational efficiency to fulfil decisions of the State Commission for Emergency Situations. It concerns evacuation of the citizens from Debaltseve, Avdiyivka and other populated area. Overall amount we have evacuated over these several days makes up over 2.5 thousand people, including over 600 children and 60 elderly persons who are unable to move independently, with the majority of them disabled. The principal problem has been and still remains that the Russian terrorists shell civil buses. We have just sent to the ATO area to Debaltseve and Avdiivka 2 armoured KrAZ trucks. They have been completely armored for the passengers and drivers alike. Each KrAZ can carry at least 20 people, and, if necessary, it can transport up to 30 people.

Thus, we protect the people from shelling, from splinters and bombardment of Russian terrorists. All the vehicles have been painted white with red crosses on them and, once again, I address members of the international organizations, primarily the OSCE and to Russia which controls their terrorists: just stop shelling the civilian population.

However, the buses that rescuers use to evacuate the civilians are constantly shelled by the Russia-led terrorists. We will protect those people with armour, those we must rescue, but stop shooting at civilians. These are crimes against humanity and the terrorists and Russia will account for this crime anyway, including the Hague tribunal.

I hope that by the night these two armoured trucks reach the evacuation zone, and we will restore rescuing the civilians, children and the disabled from Debaltseve, Avdiyivka and those areas that are under constant shelling by the Russian terrorists.

Now, with regard to Russia, I would like to remind about my commission. Yesterday the Government approved a decision to suspend action of the Agreement between Russia and Ukraine on crossing the state border, we have suspended validity of two issues. Now Russian citizens have the right to enter the territory of Ukraine by foreign passports and other documents envisaged in the Agreement, but by their internal passport from the 1st of March the Russians won’t be allowed to enter Ukraine.

Once again I want to remind you: Vladimir Putin has long been saying that it is necessary for all to use foreign passports, however, they have now changed their position. Our position does not change. From the point of view of national security a procedure is introduced, to use exceptionally foreign passport as a principal document to crossing the state border of Ukraine. The State Border Guard Service, the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Migration Service - a special control over border traffic for the Russian citizens.

I single out small border traffic. I authorize You, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to amend the Agreement between Ukraine and Russia on small border traffic. The Agreement with Russia must comply with the European standards: clearly determined zones, issuing of a registration certificate and control over the movement, pursuant to the Agreement on small border traffic.

I know that today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall notify Russia on the Government's decision to suspend the force of the provisions between Ukraine and the Russian Federation regarding travel by internal passports.

Regarding Russia, I would like to note that we have not agreed to sign a fixed price of gas with the Russian Federation. It was June, when Vladimir Putin insisted on signing this agreement. I refused then signing a stable price favorable to Russia.

I recall that Russia offered the total price of $485, about $500, then she decreased it to $385. Due to the fact that Ukraine together with the EU managed to defend its position at the level of the tripartite agreement between the European Union, Ukraine and Russia on the temporary supply of gas, the gas price for this quarter is not 500, not 385, but 329.

As to the next quarters. I am instructing the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry along with Naftogaz Ukrainy. We anticipate a price for natural gas charged by our European partners in the summer period - the second and third quarters - of $250 to $300, which is a little bit less than the $500 that Russia was offering us.

An urgent task for the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry and Naftogaz Ukrainy: in the summertime to pump maximum gas into Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities at the lowest price. Falling oil prices enables us to take advantage of positive market conditions and not to overpay Russia, as we didn’t overpay for the past year. Subsidies for Russia have been completed. We work only in accordance with market conditions and fulfill our obligations under contracts. Let them leave their discounts in Russia.

There is a market price and at the market price we primarily buy from our European partners. I recall that earlier Ukraine bought 5% of gas in Europe and 95% - in Russia. According to the results of the last year, 67% of gas is purchased in the EU, and only 33% - in Russia.

I demand a gradual further decline in the share of Russian gas in Ukraine’s energy balance. This is cheaper and more efficient.

Taking cognizant of all these, the technical task is to maximize the volume of reverse gas. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is to arrive in Ukraine on Friday. I am going to hold talks with our Slovak friends, as they (Slovakia, Poland and other EU Member States) are one of the key suppliers of gas on the reverse route, on an increase in gas supplies to Ukraine from Europe. It's cheap and effective.

I'd like to discuss certain economic issues. I consider it appropriate if the Government meets with the leaders of the parliamentary coalition to discuss both the cooperation program with the International Monetary Fund and the subsequent economic reforms much needed for the country. Apparently, the Parliament is now taking various decisions, including depriving Viktor Yanukovych of an ex-presidential status. I do not know for whom he has remained the president, but it is evident. The Parliament approves political decisions.

After our consultations with the coalition members we should proceed to more practical decisions - hard, those not always easily perceived, but vital for the country. And I believe that the parliamentary coalition in synergy with the Government and the President of Ukraine will continue pursuing proper reforms and bearing a joint responsibility for all the decisions. Thus, each day we will have less populism, more pragmatism and more emphasis on concrete results, but not on short-term political dividends, which disappear quickly.

Hence, I officially invite the leaders of the parliamentary coalition to consultations with the Government to tackle further economic reform program and adoption of necessary legislation in the Parliament. I emphasize just crucial laws, but not political decisions.

Today, dear colleagues, we are to hear a very important question, which is sensitive. This is an issue of granting the status of the participants of anti-terrorist operations, the combatant status.

Regarding draft decisions.

First. The combatant status should be granted only to military servicemen, law enforcement officers, those who with arms in hand are protecting Ukraine, namely: the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine - one, Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry - two, the Interior Ministry - three, the State Border Guard Service - four, the National Guard of Ukraine - five, the SBU - six, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection - seven, Foreign Intelligence Service - eight, the State Security Service – nine, the State Emergency Service, evacuating people from the ATO area - ten, State Penitentiary Service - eleven and the Special Transportation Service (those that are repairing roads, railway routes and are trying to restore the infrastructure under shelling by the Russian terrorists) – twelve. The end, full list.

Concerning civilians. There is an offer to abandon the practice of providing any civilians with the combatant status, including officials. Instead, I instruct the Ministry of Regional Development in synergy with the Ministry of Social Policy and the Ministry of Finance to provide a two-fold increase of the wages for civilians who are in the area of anti-terrorist operation and are performing a civil function in assisting the Armed Forces and the National Guard in the fight against the Russian terrorists in analogy to that existing in the Armed Forces and the National Guard. That is, a person who is beyond the ATO zone receives a salary, and a person who being the civilian perform his function in the ATO area, a mechanism of a two-fold increase in payment for the time spent in the ATO area and performing their functions.

Third. Today we will adopt a decision by the Government regarding a mechanism of depriving of the combatant status. To authorize the Commission, which operates within the State Service on ATO Veterans and Participants, to deprive the combatant status, including a case when there were submitted incorrect data to the Commission. I ask the Commission to immediately summon a meeting.

Now regarding a procedure. The Procedure is unfortunately long. There are certain objective and subjective factors. Hence, at a level of the Commission within the State Service on ATO Veterans and Participants we submit for consideration exceptionally disputable issues with regard to the combatant status. Moreover, the Commission and the State Service fulfil the function of filling a single state register of combatants.

Speaking about granting the combatant status for teh servicemen and other categories, I have just read. We delegate the responsibility to t he relevant commissions set up within the Defence Ministry and other security and law enforcement agencies. It will enable to halve the term of verification the documents and the term to confer the combatant status to our servicemen.

I appeal to each Ukrainian citizen who has taken for himself the most responsible decision for the entire life - to take weapons in hands and defend the country - to join the Armed Forces and the National Guard. Those who are the servicemen, are members of the National Guards and other security agencies are undoubtedly covered by all state guarantees called to protect the citizens of Ukraine, those who protect the country as a part of the regular army, the National Guard and other law enforcement bodies.

In order to get the combatant status, benefits and guarantees from the state, it is mandatory to join the Armed Forces or the National Guard, thus to entitle the state to provide the relevant guarantees to each Ukrainian who fights for his country. As it is crucial to fight coherently, under the guidance of the General staff, under the guidance of the National Guards, and exceptionally as a single whole - when everyone knows what commands they follow, and then the country has the right to grant everyone the combatant status and to protect him.

And the final issue, concerning prosthetic. The situation is, to put it mildly, is complicated as there are a lot of guys who have lost their limbs and complex prosthetic care not available in Ukraine.  

Today we shall adopt an order and envisage in this document a possibility to pay cash for the complex prosthetic care abroad. The maximum sum of such payment is UAH 609 thousand per one limb. That is if one limb is lost, from the State Budget we can pay up to UAH 609 thousand for the complex prosthetic care, not available in Ukraine, abroad.

And the resolution contains simplification of the whole procedure of prosthetic care abroad and accelerates the possibility for a person to get a prosthesis, for a person to receive assistance from the state.

This is, strictly speaking, the solutions that are offered today at a Government meeting. So, today the two decisions we will take on amendments to the procedure of granting the combatant status and on amendments to an order of complex prosthetic care.

I ask to immediately send to the Parliament the amendments to the laws that will enable to confer the combatant status to those exceptionally who fight, and those who performs a civil function, should receive appropriate additional payment in an order determined by the Ministry of Regional Development together with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social Policy.

I thank the media!