"Eastern Ukraine Lacks Political Representation in Kiev"--Interview with Derk Monroe,TRNN

Derek Monroe is an independent reporter/journalist based in Illinois. He covered Ukraine, Iraqi Kurdistan and continuing crisis in Fukushima Japan for Foreign Policy in Focus, a Washington based publication for Institute for Policy Studies. Monroe also works as international business consultant and translator of 3 languages. He worked and lived in US, Poland, Mexico, Japan and Germany.

April 15, 14
Derek Monroe says that Russian military presence along the western border is more defensive than aggressive; that the country is likely to remain unified; and the new transitional government continues an oligarchic rule that does not represent the interests of ordinary eastern or western Ukrainians -






Transcript
Eastern Ukraine Lacks Political Representation in Kiev

JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Ukraine's acting president, Turchynov, called for the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping troops in the country's eastern region, where pro-Russian insurgents have occupied buildings in nearly ten cities.In a round of myth-busting and analysis we are now joined by our guest, Derek Monroe. He's an independent journalist who recently returned from Ukraine. And Derek covers Ukraine for Foreign Policy in Focus, a Washington-based publication for Institute for Policy Studies.Thanks for joining us, Derek.

DEREK MONROE, REPORTER, FOREIGN POLICY IN FOCUS: It's good to be here.DESVARIEUX: So, Derek, first of all, just help us understand who these armed men are. And what are their interests, really?

MONROE: Well, I think if you look at the situation as it developed in the East and the West, the majority of the people who are protesting and are--of course, they're quote-unquote terrorists by new government in Kiev--these are people who are concerned citizens, who are really looking forward to protect their own rights, both under the Ukraine Constitution, which doesn't seem to be implemented right now by the new government in Kiev, but also are worried about their political and economic future. These are the people who feel they do not have any representation whatsoever in Verkhovna Rada, which is the Ukrainian parliament, because, as your viewers probably know, one of the first things that the new Ukrainian provisional government did was to dissolve the opposition parties. Therefore, they're--basically are looking for the same thing that the Western Ukrainian protesters were seeking before: representation in the political and economic sphere. And that's something that actually--that's been emphasized not strong enough, I think, in the media, where they simply want to be left alone and be part of something which they can believe in which would guarantee their both economic and political future.

DESVARIEUX: So Russia is saying that they are independent entity, really, and really acting alone. But the Russian foreign minister, he said they have the right to intervene in order to protect them. So I'm trying to understand what's the truth here. Are they really going to be supported by Russia at the end of the day? What do you see happening, Derek?

MONROE: Well, there are a lot of rumors happening right now that there are Russian special forces involved, just like there was in the situation in Crimea. And I think every sovereign government has a right to support people on their border, specifically when it comes from the same ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I mean, the same situation happened, if I can recall, back in the late '70s, when Vietnam invaded Cambodia to put the end of the genocide of Khmer Rouge or variety of different interventions which took place in Africa and Congo, for example, where you have neighboring armies come in to get rid of extremists one way or the other.So what's happening in Russia right now, it's basically something that's been going on with different areas of the world for a long time. Every country is--every people and every sovereign countries have a right to be represented, both politically and economically and socially. And the current setup, political setup, does not guarantee any representation to the Eastern Ukrainians whatsoever, both if you look at our language laws, if you look at the current lack of opposition, which was banned; also if you look at a economic situation where the majority of the Eastern Ukrainian industry is heavy and it's heavily centered to the exports to Russia. So, basically, as it happens, right now in Kiev the current provisional government in Kiev has really nothing to offer to its Eastern Ukrainian citizens. And this is something which I think needs to be addressed, first and foremost really should be addressed among Ukrainians, who should sit down together and work out some kind of framework, representative framework, whether it's federative-based or whether it's association-based or whatever that might be, something that can actually put the end of the bloodshed and put the end of the instability. And, unfortunately, as it happens right now, both East and West has their own particular interests, and they don't seem to really get along with it to make sure that the Ukrainians can be left for Ukrainians to figure out their own mess.

DESVARIEUX: Derek, let's turn now to some photos that were released, satellite photos, actually, by NATO, and they show sort of the extent of Russia's military mobilization on its border with Ukraine. You can see here some fighter jets. They say that there are tanks and thousands of soldiers who are prepared to enter Ukraine within any given amount of time--I think it's--I believe it's 12 hours.So, first of all, what does all this mean? How are you interpreting these events? Is this Russia being more aggressive?

MONROE: I wouldn't necessarily say it's aggressive. The western border of Russia always has been heavily militarized in Soviet times, and right now there's obviously a lot of concern in the Russian leadership to the developing situation in Ukraine. Whether they're going to intervene or not is a completely different story. Just to countervene this point, recently there was a NBC reporter who went along with this photographer all the length of the Ukrainian-Russian border. He basically stated that there are not major concentration of tanks or any major heavy weaponry as being alleged in the West. So you can basically take it many different ways, however you want it.However, I think if you also look at the Russian position as far as its own western border defense is concerned, it's not in their interest to have this continuous instability in the country itself. And politically, Putin has to really be aware of the situation where the Russian speakers, who are highly not only politically but also economically connected with Russia, they're going to be killed or going to be maimed or attacked [incompr.]

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