British Ambassador to Poland Robin Barnett on the referendum in Crimea for Gazeta Wyborcza
“A choice is not a choice when you make it with a gun put to your head,” the UK Ambassador to Poland Robin Barnett opines in his article “Illegal, neither free nor fair” about the referendum in Crimea planned for Sunday that appeared in Gazeta Wyborcza. "On Sunday, Crimea’s citizens will face an impossible choice," admits Ambassador Barnett. "Voting in favour of becoming subjected to Russia or in favour of independence –without any guarantee that Russia will treat the sovereignity of an independent Crimea with more respect than it did the territorial integrity of an independent Ukraine." He explains "this vote, irrespective of the outcome, is both illegal and unconstitutional. There is absolutely no doubt about that." "Ukraine’s Constitution is unequivocal about it: such vote can only be held at the request of three million citizens; it must be an all-Ukrainian referendum and it can only be called by Ukraine’s parliament. None of these conditions have been met," he adds. “For the last two decades, a network of international agreements and institutions have been put in place in order to avoid a repeat of the bitter confrontations in the past and in order to resolve disputes peacefully,” explains Barnett. “The purpose of organisations like the OSCE and the Council of Europe, of which Russia is an integral member, is to assist countries in addressing issues concerning self-determination and to defend the rights of minorities,” says British Ambassador to Poland. "But it is not too late for Russia to use these institutions, to seriously engage in diplomacy and to find a peaceful solution," he adds. Ambassador Barnett writes "we urge President Putin to use his power for the good of Crimea, Ukraine, Europe and Russia and to end this crisis."
http://www.msz.gov.pl/en/
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