Ukraine takes step towards giving regions self-rule

Roman Olearchyk in Kiev

Ukraine’s parliament has approved constitutional changes in a preliminary vote aimed at shifting power from Kiev to regional governments — including breakaway eastern areas — as part of a peace accord.

Fears have grown in recent weeks that the Minsk accord is falling apart. It was signed in February in the Belarusian capital and designed to put a halt to fighting between Ukraine’s army and separatist rebels.

Eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed and a further 16 wounded in fighting this week, adding to a death toll of more than 100 since the Minsk agreement was brokered. According to the most recent UN estimates, almost 6,800 people have been killed in the 16-month conflict.

In a statement on Thursday, Ukraine’s defence ministry described the situation as “difficult, with a tendency of escalation in past days”.

The recent fighting demonstrates how the fragile Minsk accord that failed to deliver a full ceasefire is continuing to unravel gradually amid growing fears of a return to full-scale fighting.

While a final vote, fully upholding the devolution changes to the law, is expected later in the year, separatist leaders swiftly rejected the initiative on the grounds that it did not offer them sufficient “special status” or autonomy.

Denis Pushilin, a representative of Donetsk-based separatists in peace talks, was quoted by local news agencies as saying the draft “does not conform with [the] Minsk principles”.

Under the new rules, backed by the US and EU, local authorities would hold elections in accordance with

domestic law, giving temporary self-rule to the Russian-backed breakaway eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The proposals were backed by 288 lawmakers in the 450-seat legislature in Kiev, and the draft law was sent to the constitutional court for review. Parliament must approve the amendment again — with 300 votes — for it to take effect.

Russia, which is accused by the west of backing the separatist rebels, did not immediately comment on how the constitutional changes could affect further implementation of the Minsk peace agreement.

But in a phone call with Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, President Vladimir Putin of Russia described initiatives to set up an international tribunal to prosecute those behind last year’s shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 as “counterproductive.”

Russia continues to deny claims by Kiev and the west that it provided a Buk surface-to-air rocket that shot down the airliner a year ago, killing all 298 people aboard.

Speaking in parliament before the vote on the constitution, President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine ruled out granting special status to the separatist enclaves, and clarified plans to preserve the country as a “unitary state”.

Mr Poroshenko described decentralising authority to regional governing bodies as a “crucial centrepiece” for implementing the Minsk accords and reforms aimed at cracking widespread corruption, and raising living standards across the war-torn and recession-battered country by delivering more effective governance.

In separate votes on Thursday, Ukraine’s lawmakers adopted legislation on banking, utility tariff regulation and anti-corruption initiatives, which are the last requirements for unlocking a $1.7bn tranche from a $17.5bn International Monetary Fund bailout.

Officials said progress was made on Wednesday in debt-restructuring talks held with creditors, with the aim of freeing up an additional $15bn in finances in coming years.

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