Ukraine PM says country is ‘still in a state of war’
Arseniy Yatsenyuk tells Kiev conference Ukraine remains in a state of war and says he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin 'wants to restore the Soviet Union'
Ukraine is “still in a state of war” with neighbouring Russia despite a ceasefire between Kiev’s forces and Moscow-backed rebels in the east, the country’s prime minister said on Saturday shortly after a second convoy of Russian trucks rolled into Ukraine.
Speaking at a conference with politicians and business leaders in Kiev, Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “goal is to take the entire Ukraine”.
“Ukraine border guards and customs were not allowed to examine the cargo and vehicles ... Nobody knows what’s inside.”
“He cannot cope with the idea that Ukraine would be a part of a big EU family. He wants to restore the Soviet Union,” Yatsenyuk said.
The prime minister didn’t mention the second convoy of Russian trucks that had entered rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine earlier Saturday, reportedly carrying with almost 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid.
The last truck crossed onto Ukrainian soil early on Saturday from the Russian border town Donetsk, some 200 kilometres miles east of the Ukrainian city with the same name, Rayan Farukshin, a spokesman for Russia’s customs agency, told reporters by phone. He could not confirm the number of trucks, but news agency ITAR TASS reported that about 250 were heading toward the city of Luhansk.
The Russian emergency ministry, which coordinated previous humanitarian aid deliveries to Ukraine, could not be reached for comment about the convoy.