Ukrainian Presidential Office Published Falsified Translation of Normandy Four Communique

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The Ukrainian Presidential Office published a falsified translation of the communique of the Normandy Four meeting from December 9^th.

The “Opposition Platform: For Life” party revealed the “incident.”

The party compared how the passage of the document, which refers to the special status of Donbass, sounds in the original and in the one presented by presidential office.

In the original, the first paragraph of point 2 of the communique reads as follows:

2. Measures to implement the political provisions of the Minsk agreements

The sides express interest in agreeing within the Normandy format (N4) and the Trilateral Contact Group on all the legal aspects of the Special Order of Local Self-Government – special status – of Certain Areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions – as outlined in the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements from 2015 – in order to ensure its functioning on a permanent basis.

They consider it necessary to incorporate the ”Steinmeier formula“ into the Ukrainian legislation, in accordance with the version agreed upon within the N4 and the Trilateral Contact Group.

In short, the communique declares its commitment to introduce the special status of Donbass, as indicated in the Minsk agreements. That is, a separate law on such a status, the law on amnesty, the law on elections, as well as amendments to the Constitution.

However, on the official website of the President of Ukraine, this part of the text was translated with an interesting revision.

“The sides express interest in agreeing within Normandy format (N4) and the Trilateral Contact Group on all the legal aspects of the Law on the special order of the local self-government (about the special status) of Certain Areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions – as outlined in the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements from 2015 – in order to ensure its functioning on a permanent basis.”

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In translation by the Office of the President, the mention of the law on the special status of Donbass crept in. Although this law is only part of the rules that need to be introduced into Ukrainian legislation according to Minsk-2.

“Thus, the President’s Office falsified the most important aspect of the agreements of the Heads of State of the Normandy Format in the translation of the communique following the meeting in Paris and actually deceived the Ukrainian society about the true nature of the agreements that were reached. We demand to immediately correct the official translation of the communique and punish those responsible for its falsifications,” the “Opposition Platform” demanded.

An amendment of the law on the Special Status of Donbass may be submitted in Ukrainian parliament, at an extraordinary meeting on December 12^th.

Its authors are deputies David Arahamia and Alexander Kornienko from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party “Servant of the People.”

The deputies propose amending article 1 of the law “On the Special Order of Local Self-government in certain areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions”, which states that the law ends on December 31^st, 2019.

The text of the amendment is not yet available on the Ukrainian Parliament’s website.

The Law of Ukraine ” On the Special Order of Local Self-government in certain areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions” was adopted by the parliament on September 16^th, 2014, then-President Petro Poroshenko signed it on October 16^th, 2014, two days later the law entered into force.

On December 9^th, at the Normandy Four summit in Paris, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the law would be extended.

The law should further include:

• Conducting elections for local authorities under the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, heads of prosecutors and courts will be appointed in a special manner with the participation of newly elected authorities;
• Withdrawal of criminal prosecution against participants in the events on the territory of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions;
• Promoting the use of Russian and other languages ​​in all areas of life;
• Support for the socio-economic development of these areas: in the restoration of industry, transport and social infrastructure, housing. Creation of new jobs, attraction of investments and loans. At the same time, support for certain regions of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions should differ from the general regime of economic and investment activities, and its volumes cannot be reduced;
• The right of certain regions of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions to develop cross-border cooperation with Russia;
• The right of local authorities to create units of the people’s militia to protect public order.

In addition, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko may potentially have another criminal proceeding against him, this time for treason.

He might be accused of committing treason against the Ukrainian state by signing the Minsk Agreements in February 2015.

That is because the ex-head of state even then crossed all the “red lines” that Poroshenko said Volodymyr Zelensky is crossing.

Almost four years ago, all this was coordinated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel together with Petro Poroshenko.

Poroshenko now accuses Zelensky of trying to realize what he himself signed up for. And threatens Zelensky with a Maidan, accusing him of treason.

The recording appeared on the day when Poroshenko spoke in the center of Kiev and called any attempts to fulfill the Minsk agreements a crime. Fulfilling the agreements he initially signed up for.

Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation Press Secretary Anzhelika Ivanova said that a claim seeking a probe into the act of treason had been lodged with the SBI, and after its consideration, a pretrial investigation began on December 10^th.

The claim was filed by former top official during Viktor Yanukovych’s presidency, Andriy Portnov.

“I believe that it is necessary to look at Poroshenko’s relations with Russia in a different way, to rethink them. I recall that in 2010 Poroshenko supported the extension (stay) of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Ukrainian Crimea until 2042,” Portnov said.

Portnov reminded that the Minsk Agreement was signed with the go-ahead of the ex-president.

“The current head of state is forced to move beyond these red lines, which Poroshenko himself set out for him,” Portnov added.

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