Press Release, 15.10.2014

The foundation of true peace between Russia and Ukraine can become only the solidarity of their goals which are the movement to Europe. This was the statement made by the YABLOKO founder Grigory Yavlinsky at the international conference “Forum 2000” which took place in Prague. Yavlinsky claims that Europe needs integration with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to especially compete with the USA and Asia.

Yavlinsky supported the Minsk agreement on cease fire and once again proposed to conduct an international conference on Ukraine with participation of all the concerned parties. At the same time, he said that would not be enough to achieve the lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine. Russia should drop the anti-European course and start the gradual movement towards the European policy and way of life.

He gave the post-war Europe as an example, where the establishment of lasting peace became possible only after the foundation of the European Union and the win over fascism became the main supposition of that. In this regard he emphasized that Russia’s anti-European policy was a serious threat and danger.

The politician criticized the policy of the EU which, according to Yavlinsky, “didn’t develop the new strategy toward Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall, so not “the end of the story” took place but “the end of the strategy”.

“So how can one explain that Europe had agreed on the shadow schemes of gas supplies for years when a small company in Switzerland with the registered capital of ten thousand dollars had a case cycle of eight billion euro?”, asked Yavlinsky. Now Europe pays for such “short-sighted and unprincipled policy”, says Yavlinsky.

The Europeans should understand that Ukraine is not a buffer and not a blade for a new Cold War. “Exactly such ideas which were spread in Europe led from the First World War to the Second World War”, reminded Yavlinsky.

Yavlisnky believes that in 30-40 years there will be two strong economic centers – North America and Asia. Wether Europe will become the third centre of the global economic competition depends on weather the common economic, legal and human framework from Lisbon to Vladivostok will be created.

The condition with democracy within Russia is not an obstacle for an integration process. Yavlinsky remained that the idea of the European Union was proposed only two year after the terrible war and mutual obliteration of the European nations and was successfully brought to life sixty years later.

“One should develop the strategy toward the integration of Ukraine, Belarus and Ukraine right now”, called the politician.

He emphasized that the case was not about a favor that Europe could do to Ukraine or Russia. “The development of an integration project is vital interest for Europe itself”, noted Yavlinsky.