Ukraine at unease after Russia lifts embargo on Abkhazia

Kiev – Ukraine, a country that has turned to the West since the United States-financed 2005 orange revolution, expressed deep concern about the recent decision by Russia not to carry on with the embargo imposed in 1996 by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on Abkhazia.

 "Russia is obliged not to support separatist regimes and not to establish relations with their governments," said a statement released from The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine: "Doubtlessly, such a step will make it a lot more difficult to solve the problem both in Georgia and Abkhazia. It will lead to more problems because it will cause the single available assurance of regional stability to collapse. It will additionally have a negative impact on the perspective of as well as on the relations between the members of the CIS."  

Like North Caucasus, Ukraine also emerged as an independent republic in 1927-1930 in the wake of the collapse of the Russian Tsarism. However, it later was brought back under the Soviet rule. Millions of Ukrainians lost their lives in catastrophes in 1921-1922 and 1932-1933. After the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics was dissolved in 1991, Ukraine regained its independence.

Though, like Ukraine, Abkhazia escaped from the ‘Dungeon of Nations’ too, it has remained a ‘de facto’ independent country because, unlike Ukraine, it has not not been recognized by the international community. It is, therefore, worth questioning why Ukraine tops the list of countries with the harshest reaction against Abkhazia’s quest of independence. (Agency Caucasus)