This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
KIEV, Ukraine — The embattled president of Ukraine, Viktor F. Yanukovich, held his first face-to-face meeting with opposition leaders on Friday, as a widespread civil uprising in the country entered its fourth week.
KIEV, Ukraine — In the his first meeting with opposition leaders since the outbreak of a sustained civil uprising here, President Viktor F. Yanukovich of Ukraine had a succinct message on Friday for the tens of thousands of protesters calling for changes at the highest levels of government. He urged them to stop protesting.
Mr. Yanukovich met with the protest organizers, a coalition of opposition leaders in Parliament, and the heads of civic organizations and student groups at Ukraine Palace, a cultural and arts arena in the capital.
“I appeal to our citizens,” Mr. Yanukovich said, at the end of a more than two-hour meeting that included protest organizers, religious leaders and all three ex-presidents of Ukraine. “Calm down and stop the confrontation. Confrontation has never led to anything good.”
The meeting began on Friday afternoon as the struggle over Ukraine’s political and economic future intensified, and as the country’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, expressed support for demonstrators who have been rallying here since Mr. Yanukovich last month unexpectedly backed away from signing sweeping political and free trade accords with Europe.
The so-called round-table talks occurred as Mr. Yanukovich, whose popularity has plummeted since his abrupt decision last month to back away from signing political and free trade accords with Europe, is under intensifying pressure to resolve the crisis. It is coming not only from officials in the West and in Russia, who have been in a tug of war for influence over Ukraine’s future, but also from some of Ukraine’s wealthiest and most influential businessmen —the so-called oligarchs —who seem increasingly jarred by the instability and uncertainty in the country, and worried about the fast-deteriorating economy.
Mr. Akhmetov, a multibillionaire, is widely viewed as a close ally of Mr. Yanukovich. His public statement calling for negotiations to settle the political crisis sent the clearest message yet that Ukraine’s wealthiest businessmen, widely known as oligarchs, are unhappy with the instability and uncertainty in the country and want the government to offer a clearer picture of its intentions: to move toward Russia or try to revive the deals with Europe.
The country’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, a multibillionaire widely viewed as a close ally of Mr. Yanukovich, issued a statement on Friday expressing support for demonstrators and urging that the government offer a clearer picture of its intentions. It was a highly unusual commentary on public affairs by a man who generally prefers to operate privately.
It was also highly unusual commentary on public affairs by a man who generally prefers to operate in the background, and the statement quickly drew the attention of Western diplomats who have been working to increase pressure on Mr. Yanukovich. They are concerned that he will sign agreements in Russia next week with President Vladimir V. Putin, which, for the moment at least, would close the door to European integration for Ukraine.
Since backing away from the accords with Europe, Mr. Yanukovich has been in negotiations with Moscow over desperately needed economic aid, and he is scheduled to meet on Tuesday with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin. At the round-table meeting, one of the country’s senior religious leaders, Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, warned Mr. Yanukovich not to use force against protesters or to join Mr. Putin’s fledgling customs union of post-Soviet states.
“The agreement was not signed in Vilnius,” Mr. Akhmetov said in his statement, referring to the Lithuanian capital, where the accords with Europe were to be signed at a conference. “And everybody asked a question: What happened? Did Ukraine take a pause? Did Ukraine stop? Or did Ukraine choose another road?”
Use of force only calls for more force,” Filaret said, sitting directly across the oblong table from Mr. Yanukovich, who at times alternatively seemed pained and bored throughout the meeting. “And what does that mean? A civil war. Do we want a civil war? None of us wants a civil war,” he said.
“Everyone wants to have clarity,” he continued. Referring to Independence Square in Kiev, the main protest site, he said, “People started searching for answers to these questions and went to the Maidan.”
“It is impossible to disperse the square by force,” Filaret said. “It will gather again. And if you join the customs union, even more people will come out.”
“The fact that peaceful people came to peaceful rallies indicates that Ukraine is a free and democratic country,” Mr. Akhmetov said. “And Ukraine will not swerve from this road. And it’s great. But the fact that people suffered in these days is unacceptable. I am confident that now it is a difficult moment for our country, and it is very important to have a cool head and a balanced approach. In short, common sense should win.”
Although Mr. Yanukovich offered to impose a moratorium on the use of force against demonstrators and to consider amnesty for protesters who have been arrested in recent weeks, opposition leaders say they heard nothing conciliatory in his remarks.
Most pointedly, he said that the government could not ignore the opposition, as it did for more than two weeks after people took to the streets. “I am for the negotiating table,” Mr. Akhmetov said. “Politicians, the authorities, the opposition and the moral leaders of the country should sit at the negotiating table and take the decision of which we will be proud.”
“The only response there was today was that forceful methods will not be used now,” said Arseniy P. Yastenyuk, the leader in Parliament of the opposition Fatherland party, who attended the talks. “Do I believe this,” Mr. Yatsenyuk asked. “No. But did he give his word? Yes.”
Mr. Yanukovich had previously expressed a willingness to participate in so-called round-table talks, but it was not clear until Friday that he would personally meet with leaders of the opposition, which has seized control not only of Independence Square but also of several public buildings, including Kiev City Hall.
Vitali Klitschko, the champion boxer who leads the United Democratic Alliance for Reform party, put it more bluntly. “Today, the authorities have not considered any of the oppositions’ demands,” Mr. Klitschko said. “This round table was for show.”
The talks are beginning after an acceleration of efforts in recent days by national figures and international diplomats to find a way out of the political chaos. Ukraine is facing an increasingly severe economic crisis that has sharply raised borrowing costs and forced the Central Bank to intervene to prop up the currency, the hryvnia.
The opposition is demanding the resignation of the government and the revival of talks with Europe. Mr. Yatsenyuk said that they saw no possibility of negotiating with Mr. Yanukovich, but suggested that behind the scenes some members of the Party of Regions, which supported Mr. Yanukovich and controls a majority in Parliament, were now prepared to work against the president and perhaps remove the government.
Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, and Victoria Nuland, an American assistant secretary of state, each met with Mr. Yanukovich for several hours this week, delivering strong criticism of a police crackdown on protesters in Independence Square early Wednesday, and also urging him to renew negotiations to sign the accords with Europe and also with the International Monetary Fund to secure a much-needed financial rescue package.
The statement by Mr. Akhmetov, who is believed to command the loyalty of about 30 to 40 members of Parliament, suggested that such maneuverings could indeed be underway.
Since refusing to sign the accords, Mr. Yanukovich has been in talks with Russia about economic assistance. He met with Mr. Putin last week in Sochi and is scheduled to see him again on Dec. 17.
On Thursday, another wealthy and influential Ukrainian, Serhiy Tigipko, who is a member of Parliament, former economics minister and former head of the Central Bank, issued a statement urging a series of steps that the Ukrainian president could take.
On Thursday, another wealthy and influential Ukrainian, Serhiy Tigipko, who is a member of Parliament, former economics minister, and former head of the Central Bank, issued a statement urging a series of steps that the Ukrainian president could take to address the political instability, and resolve the crisis.
Mr. Tigipko urged no force against protesters, genuine negotiations with protest leaders and a “serious reformatting” of the government that would include returning to the path of European integration.
Mr. Tigipko urged no force against protesters, genuine negotiations with protest leaders, and a “serious reformatting” of the government, which would include returning to the path of European integration by signing the political accord known as an “association agreement.” He also urged the creation of a new anticorruption program, and a restoration of negotiations with the I.M.F.
“Implementation of these measures will allow us a few months to emerge stronger from the political and economic crisis that has engulfed the country,” Mr. Tigipko wrote, adding, “In my view, this is consistent with the interests of society and the interests of the government.”
The far more consequential statement, however, came from Mr. Akhmetov, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes Magazine at more than $15 billion, and whose conglomerate, System Capital Management, owns interests in metals, energy, mining, financial services, media and telecommunications. In his statement, Mr. Akhmetov urged all sides to the negotiating table.
“I would call this table a table of peace, compromise, and the future of our country,” Mr. Akhmetov wrote. “And let the politicians lose their ratings at this table. But the most important thing is that Ukraine’s rating goes up.”
Mr. Akhmetov’s statement could have multiple goals. While he has been pressed to weigh in on the crisis given his influence — a point he noted at them outset of his remarks — Western officials have also raised the prospect of sanctions should there be bloodshed at the protests. There has been speculation that such sanctions would be targeted at government officials and their allies, to avoid punishing the entire country. A statement expressing even tempered support for the protests might keep Mr. Akhmetov out of the fray.
Also on Friday, a court granted one demand of protesters by freeing the last of nine demonstrators who had been jailed after earlier clashes with the police. It was a limited victory, however, as officials said that charges would not be dropped and criminal cases against the demonstrators would continue.
