Two leaders of an organization representing an ethnic minority group, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, who are also lawmakers at Ukraine's parliament, proposed earlier to block the country's border with Crimea on September 20, a move later supported by Ukrainian extremist organization Right Sector.
"A campaign on Crimea's blockade… with the involvement of Right Sector has started. Several hundreds of trucks were stopped at Ukrainian border checkpoints," Balbek told RIA Novosti.
Ukrainian Interior Ministry claimed the situation at border checkpoints was under control, and road traffic was not blocked as of 1 p.m. local time [10:00 GMT].
The deputy minister said assumptions that Crimea could not do without Ukrainian food were groundless, as the peninsula has "almost fully switched to deliveries from mainland Russia."
According to Balbek, the leaders of the Mejlis have initiated the blockade in attempts to gain preferences on trade with Crimea.
Crimea rejoined Russia in March 2014, after more than 96 percent of voters backed the move in a referendum, which was not recognized as legitimate by Kiev and the West. Moscow maintains that the referendum was held in accordance with international law.
(Sputnik)
20/9/15
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Blockade of Crimea by Ukrainian Lawmakers Harms Crimean Tatars - Diaspora...
ReplyDeleteThe blockade of Crimea imposed by Ukrainian lawmakers is not in the interest of Crimean Tatars, an adviser to the head of the Crimean Tatars Cultural Federation in Turkey said Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine suspended food supply to Crimea. The move was initiated by former leader of an organization representing an ethnic minority group, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Mustafa Dzhemilev and its current leader Refat Chubarov, who are also lawmakers at the Ukraine's parliament.
"Today, former Crimean politicians, like Dzhemilev and Chubarov, instigate dangerous game against their fellow countrymen, today a blockade of the peninsula, intending to starve them, began," Yagiz Kizilkaya said.
The federation condemns such inhumane and unlawful actions, Kizilkaya added.
In March 2014, 96 percent of Crimean residents voted for rejoining Russia at a referendum following a declaration of independence from Ukraine.
sputniknews.com
21/9/15
Russia expects no worsening of Crimea situation due to food supply blocking — official...
ReplyDeleteNo considerable worsening of the food situation in Crimea is expected in connection with blocking of the truck deliveries from the Ukrainian territory to the peninsula, as the authorities had prepared for this in advance, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak told reporters on Monday.
"The blockade that has existed for a day, has not considerably worsened the situation because the initiators [of that action], activists announced it in advance, three weeks ago. We have made the corresponding preparations and Russia’s regions that have been providing patronage assistance to the Republic of Crimea starting form last April, have ensured food supplies to the corresponding retail networks," Kozak said, adding that the situation was not expected to worsen.
The Russian deputy premier said that "no fuss, price hikes are expected in this connection at present." "No, nothing of the kind is expected," the official told TASS, responding to a question if the situation might deteriorate in the future. "This work was organised in advance," he said...............http://tass.ru/en/politics/822492