via Kasukuwere Crimea trip angers Ukraine 22/12/2014
ENVIRONMENT minister Saviour Kasukuwere has sparked an angry response from Ukraine after visiting the Crimea region which was annexed in March by Russia triggering an international dispute between Moscow and the West.
Russia and the pro-Moscow administration in Crimea were subsequently slapped with sanctions by the West which targeted both individuals and corporations.
Reports from Kiev Monday said Kasukuwere last week travelled to the region to offer advice on how to deal with sanctions, a subject the Harare administration would be very familiar with after being hit with similar measures by the West more than a decade ago.
Zimbabwe was one of just eleven of the 193 UN General Assembly members that supported the referendum in March on whether to recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Other nations which supported the annexation include North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Venezuela and Cuba.
Kasukuwere becomes the first foreign government official to visit the peninsula since the crisis started.
The Kiev administration warned Zimbabwe of grave consequences.
“Ukraine considers this step as ignoring the Zimbabwean side of the current Ukrainian law, the norms of international law, the UN Charter and the decisions of the UN General Assembly the Territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the government said in a statement.
“This may have negative consequences for the subsequent development of Ukrainian-Zimbabwean relations.”
Harare is keen to curry favour with Russia as the government looks for financial support and investment to help stem the country’s economic slide.
Zimbabwe has looked to China, and now Russia, for support since the West imposed sanctions against Harare, angered by President Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reforms as well as allegations of rights abuses and electoral fraud.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov recently visited Harare for meetings with President Mugabe during which a deal was sealed for the development of a US$3 billion platinum mine.
COMMENTS
China and Russia know that Zimbabwe rulers are greedy and corrupt so why give money to prop up the economy when you can bribe the officials for a song and get lucrative tax exempt deals?
Albeit the intentions of the Western countries is sometimes question, which is understandable that they do things to benefit their people first, Zanu in it’s foolishness always backs the wrong horse. There are now noises of discontent in Russia with a part of the populace already questioning Putins actions. Putin is not unlike Mugabe. When his table is full he forgets where the food is from and to the hell with everybody else. When it runs out he blames others.Russia has benefited more than any other country other than China for his connection with the west.What is wrong with the west imposing sanctions on him. If my neighbor was a theif and a criminal I would also impose my own “SANCTIONS” on him.(refuse to associate with him because of his actions) What this clown expects to get from Crimea is a Mystery. 99% of Zimbabweans will never ever have any ties to the place or even visit there.
What advice can a stupid arrogant ZANU PF thug give to Vladimir Putin, who is a thug of noted proportions who was trained by the KGB. Russia’s economy whilst suffering under the same sort of strictures as Zimbabwes’s is light years more successful than Zimbabwe’s, because they actually make products as well as exporting their mineral wealth and importing food.
Rambai makashinga