President: Ukrainian enterprises remained the only anchors for those territories to hold on to Ukraine (15.03.2017)
Enterprises that kept paying wages in Ukrainian currency and paying taxes to the Ukrainian budget were the "islands” of Ukrainian presence in the occupied territories and they were to become a stronghold of reintegration of those lands after their de-occupation. It was stated by President Petro Poroshenko in the interview with Ukrainian TV channels.
"Those were the only places where the Ukrainian national currency functioned, where taxes were not paid to the so-called budgets of LDPR or to Russia, they were fully paid to Ukraine. They ensured employment and people clearly knew: those who worked in large Ukrainian enterprises, yet in the occupied territories but under Ukrainian jurisdiction, are Ukraine,” the President emphasized.
"I would say that those were the "islands” of Ukraine. The anchor for this territory to hold on to Ukraine. And of course we were going to use them for reintegration after the return of Donbas to Ukraine. Those were the basic footholds for the return of Ukraine,” Petro Poroshenko added.
According to the President, the so-called blockade of the occupied territories gave an opportunity for the aggressor to justify its actions on the recognition of the so-called passports of LDPR, registration documents, license plates. This has also provided a basis and justification for conveying those enterprises to oligarchs-fugitives or Russian oligarchs. "It has destroyed Ukraine in Donbas. This is a very dangerous strategy, very dangerous actions,” he emphasized.
The President reminded that before the beginning of the so-called blockade, a special order of transportation of goods across the delimitation line has been introduced. The Government offered an open dialogue for society in the issue of restriction of termination of transportation of certain kinds of goods across the delimitation line. It also offered joint control over the transportation.
According to the President, activists-participants of the so-called blockade and its organizers were also invited to this control. However, the proposal of the Prime Minister was not supported. "They stopped negotiations because they didn’t need them. They need PR, conflict, destabilization of the internal political situation in Ukraine. This is another evidence that the given scenario wasn’t written in Ukraine. And sincere, open, transparent feelings of volunteers who supported those actions were simply used,” the Head of State noted.
The President also stressed that part of the enterprises refused to cooperate with invaders and pro-Russian militants after the blockade and adopted a decision to fully terminate its work. "We saw two actions of the owners of those enterprises. One part of them is very responsible. They refused to re-register in LDPR or Russia. Irrespective of surnames, this is a position of Ukrainian citizen, which I truly respect,” Petro Poroshenko said.
"Others re-registered and started paying money to the so-called budgets of LDPR, de-facto financing terrorism as a result of the blockade. These are the first results of the blockade: earlier they paid to the Ukrainian budget, now they pay to the budgets of the invaders,” he added.
Taking into account these developments, the government has made a decision to suspend transport connection with these territories. "We couldn’t accept products of these seized enterprises and the situation required prompt and resolute actions. This is the first motivation, which completely bans transportation of goods, and those were mainly goods of those Ukrainian enterprises. It goes about not only those three crossings where PR redoubt were located, but the entire territory—road, railroad and other connections,” the President noted.
At the same time, border crossing points will continue their functioning preserving an opportunity for Ukrainian citizens to get to the territory controlled by Ukraine and providing access for the international humanitarian missions.