Once ordered the Ukraine over a powerful fighting force. Now they can not even control its own territory; the situation in the east is precarious. The government has asked the public for donations – with limited success.
The situation in eastern Ukraine is increasingly stretched: After the skirmish at a roadblock near Slowjansk in which there was at least one dead, the leader of the pro-Russian militia has asked the government in Moscow to send troops. “You kill our brothers. Only Russia can protect the city,” Wyatscheslaw Ponomarev said, according to the radio station Voice of Russia.
The Ukrainian army actually has little reason to fear them – their condition is more than dire. According to a report in the “Washington Post” their equipment is so precarious that the Department of Defense called the country’s citizens to donate some weeks ago.
And the Ukrainians came according to the report after the prompt: Citizens supplied encampment of the army with food and drinks. Children selling home baking to donate the proceeds. Citizens’ initiatives organized collections of shoes, clothes and canned goods.
By Friday, therefore, came, according to the Defense Ministry in Kiev nine million U.S. dollars through donations from companies and individuals together, of which two million via a donation hotline for mobile phones.
East Ukraine Crisis:Stronghold of self-service in a corrupt country
This corresponds to a drop in the bucket. For the past year alone Ukraine has peace research institute SIPRI, according to the issued a total of 5.3 billion dollars on the military, more than 500 times the now collected donations. And yet far too little: The newspaper provides this sum against the military budget of Sweden, the only one-fifth of the population of Ukraine – it was 6.5 billion dollars.
But more devastating for the equipment of the Ukrainian army is not likely to under-funding have impacted in itself – but the fact that was inserted from the little money even less in the equipment. Ukraine applied anyway as highly corrupt country, but the army seems even in this environment, a stronghold of self-service to be.
East Ukraine Crisis:Commands do not come to the site
So stopped Kiev mobilization during the Crimean crisis , among other reasons , because the tanks of around a thousand battle tanks were empty. Only with the donation of a diesel oligarchs could be bought . And Andrij Parubij , head of the National Security and Defence Council , reported in the Crimean crisis were in Kiev , although decision has been like – but it had no communication facilities exist that would transmit the commands to the site can .
Except for the ailing equipped army still wrong decisions of the new leadership in Kiev and old networks also have about the Russian intelligence meant that Ukraine currently appears almost defenseless. After police and army units had defected in recent days to the pro-Russian militias , had the declaration of an Easter peace – that is, the exposure of the so-called anti -terrorist struggle in the east of the country – rather unintentionally funny .
All the more threatening of the government in Kiev must therefore occur the latest developments in the East. After the fatal incident at a roadblock at Slowjansk calls on the self-proclaimed “mayor” and pro-Russian militia leader Ponomarev Russia to send troops or at least weapons for the fight against the Ukrainian military.
East Ukraine Crisis:Russia still no response to calls for troops
Some observers suspect a pro-Russian staging behind the incident and support the fact that the Russian state television and Kremlin close media had reported first about the shooting. The incident, the suspect could Russian President Vladimir Putin give a pretext to march in the east of Ukraine.
The release just three-day-old Geneva agreement between the U.S., the EU, Russia and Ukraine to disarm illegally armed groups and occupied public buildings, would be waste. The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the shooting on Sunday with allegations towards Kiev. The local leadership lacked the will to “keep nationalists and extremists in check and to disarm.”
However, the Russian government has not yet responded to the request for troops and weapons, militia leader Ponomarev said on Sunday afternoon. In Kiev, which should only take care of little reassurance.
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