Foreign army composed of 5,000 militants active in Kyiv - speaker of Crimean parliament
MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - A foreign army composed of 5,000 militants who are ready to fight is active in central Kyiv, Volodymyr Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, said at a meeting with a delegation of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in the State Duma in Moscow.
"An actual foreign army composed of well-trained, armed, bold, well-paid people is active in the center of the city. We estimate the number of these people at some 5,000 people," Konstantinov said, adding that "those 5,000 people are ready to fight."
Konstantinov said what is now happening in Ukraine is a challenge to the entire Russian world. "Ukraine is just a stage here," he said.
Despite the danger of the situation, the central administration can still be saved, and Ukraine needs help with that, the politician said.
Konstantinov believes it would be very important for Ukraine if the Russian administration "represented by the president or the Foreign Ministry" issue a tough statement sending "a very clear signal to those who plan and finance this anti-constitutional coup." He said the signal should be as follows: "If you succeed in that [in carrying out an anti-constitutional coup], all actions happening from this time on are illegitimate." That is, Russia should make it clear to these forces that all interstate agreements are liquidated "if the lawful administration is overthrown." This means that Ukraine is facing a complete collapse and this should be made very clear, Konstantinov said.
Konstantinov also pointed out that the administration of Crimea has more than once asked the president of Ukraine to use force to prevent dangerous developments in the situation. "However, we were not heard," he said. Thus, he said he believes time was seriously lost.
Konstantinov also reiterated that Crimea will not recognize any illegitimate decisions made by the central administration under pressure, including statements issued by politicians, specifically, possible public statements on resignation.