Posted on 05/20/2018 4:34:53 AM PDT by BBell
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree to withdraw all Ukrainian envoys from the statutory bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose political and economic confederation of nine post-Soviet nations heavily dominated by Russia.
The decision was announced on Poroshenko’s Twitter page in tribute to Europe Day, celebrated in Ukraine on May 19.
“For us, the CIS is completely and entirely gone to the past,” the message on the presidential page also reads. “Our future is in Europe only!”
The CIS was formed by a group of former Soviet republics in the agonizing final days of the Soviet Union in December 1991. Its members include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Though Ukraine was signatory to the 1991 Belavezha accords that established the CIS and dissolved the USSR, it did not ratify a subsequent 1993 treaty to become a member state of the CIS.
Given the sharp conflict with Russian Federation, which has been ongoing since 2014, Poroshenko initially said Ukraine would cut all ties with the organization on the sidelines of the Kyiv Security Forum on April 12. Furthermore, he said he would submit a proposal to the Verkhovna Rada to withdraw Ukraine unilaterally from parts of the “Big Deal,” a 1997 comprehensive agreement of friendship and cooperation with Russia.
Nevertheless, on April 16, presidential envoy to the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Lutsenko asserted that Poroshenko’s proposal envisaged the withdrawal from all accords with CIS except for those considered “useful for Ukraine’s economy,” such as the mutual recognition of educational qualifications, or transit agreements with CIS nations.
She added that Ukraine’s withdrawal from CIS would be partial and that it would be conducted due to the organization’s reluctance to acknowledge Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Ukraine is not the first post-Soviet nation to distance itself from the CIS. The organization has long been seen as too accommodating towards Russia’s ambitions for regional dominance—if not an outright tool of Moscow.
In 2009, Georgia effectively withdrew from the organization, accusing the CIS of doing nothing to prevent the Russo-Georgian war the previous year.
The weather is warming up—a good time to make such an announcement.
“I’m surprised that Ukraine was still a part of it. “
Imagine you are in a close-knit community where everybody trades and socializes. Then, suddenly you decide you won’t socialize, or, apparently, trade. This is probably not a great move.
We will see how well it works out for them.
Nonsense, Russia has an economy the size of Italy. Does Ukraine want to be tied in to trading primarily with Russia or with Europe and the West? That’s why they left CISFTA. CISTA = Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan
“Our future is in Europe only!”
**************
It’s not like the EU has a great future — Islam, LGBT, and Marxism, all of which hate free speech, are running amok in that area. Hard to know which one will prevail.
The scum globalists have been hard at work ruining Europe and other state neighbors. The irresponsibility of European puppet heads put in place who spent monies they didn’t have with the blessing of the globalists has put them in a box, enter the EU “if you go down we will all go down with you” a greater common irresponsibility. Add into this mix the invading hordes of Islamic refugees who refuse to assimilate, are mostly young men who are sponsored by radical groups, are immediately housed fed and supported by elected officials who are tied to the globalists and you have a gift that keeps on giving. Sleeping indigenous peoples have themselves to blame, PC and the diversity cancer is terminal
Agree, but just want to point out that Muslims are 3.8% of the European Union while they are 15% of Russia.
Ping.
Russia has calculated it already and Ukraine is for Moscow more of a burden than an asset.
The Eurasian Union is up and running even without Ukraine in the picture.
Awesome, a trade union with Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Countries that no one in the right mind would even want to visit.
I’d like to visit Minsk.
There’s Armenia and Moscow would like to sign on Moldova.
There’s a reason so few people visit “Europe’s last dictatorship”.
The Ukies had enough of Russia... good for them.
Ping to Laz: Did you see this?
At the same time the politicians have proven corrupt and non-inspirational, the economy is collapsing and people are leaving.
This is a state that will collapse.
I foresee the right bank (east of the Dnieper) going to Russia eventually and the Western part dithering, but hating Russians and Poles.
The south may go to Russia as well.
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