10:54 28.02.2017

Tuka says Russia makes use of Savchenko for its own purposes

2 min read
Tuka says Russia makes use of Savchenko for its own purposes

Deputy Minister of Ukraine on the Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, Heorhiy Tuka, considers the trip of a people's deputy Nadia Savchenko to the territory of Donbas, beyond control of the Ukrainian authorities, as an attempt of legitimization of direct talks with the leaders of separate regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) to output Russia itself and the OSCE from the process. "Russia uses Savchenko's actions in their favor [...] Efforts of "legitimization of direct talks" with the leaders of ORDLO are being made to confirm the status of "internal civil conflict" and withdraw Russia itself and the OSCE from the negotiations," Tuka wrote on Facebook page on Tuesday morning.

According to him, the only thing Savchenko obtained from this trip were letters from Ukrainian prisoners. He said Russia-backed militants didn't transmit the missives through international organizations.

Tuka believes that the "image" of Savchenko's trip, which the Russian TV channels covered, will be used "not only to demonstrate the "great confinement conditions," but also to demonstrate the level of democracy and security, using it as an argument for the promotion of the possibility of holding local elections in ORDLO."

The deputy minister expressed hope that Savchenko is not an "agent of the Kremlin," but said Russia "skillfully uses her purely for their own purposes."

"If Savchenko ignores it, her "activities" should be limited by legal means," he said.

As reported, on February 24, member of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Nadiia Savchenko and head of the Officer Corps center for the release of prisoners of war Volodymyr Ruban arrived at a penal colony in occupied Makiyivka, where Ukrainian soldiers are kept.

The SBU questioned Ruban in the Donetsk region over the instance of his violation of the rules for crossing the dividing line. On February 27 the SBU canceled the permission to cross the contact line in Donbas for Ruban.

The SBU has said it intends to call Savchenko in for questioning in the near future.

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