The Verkhovna Rada stated that stopping water supplies to Crimea complies with legal international methods (VIDEO)
Kyiv, April 24 (Navigator, Vladimir Raichenko) – The Ukrainian side’s cessation of water supply to the peninsula via the North Crimean Canal complies with international law. This opinion was expressed by People’s Deputy Yuri Mikhalchishin (VO “Svoboda”) in a conversation with a Navigator correspondent.
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“The Ukrainian state uses all legal methods to symmetrically respond to the actions of the Russian occupiers in Crimea,” the politician explained. – Of course, no one is going to make hostage the civilian population in Crimea, who we consider citizens of Ukraine, and not the Russian Federation. But the point is that international law does not prohibit the possibility of using market mechanisms in relations with temporarily occupied territories. Accordingly, energy resources, natural gas, and water can also be methods of economic pressure on the illegal power of the Crimean peninsula in order to weaken its position and return to the constitutional status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. I believe that the civilian population should not suffer, but the burden should go to the budget of the illegally created authorities in the territory of Crimea.”
Yuri Mikhalchishin also commented on the $13 billion bill issued by Gazprom to the Ukrainian Naftogaz for the shortage of “blue fuel” last year. The people's deputy is confident that the gas produced on the territory of Ukraine is quite sufficient for the needs of public utilities, and imported gas for the metallurgical and chemical industries should be paid for from the pockets of Ukrainian oligarchs, among whom, according to Mikhalchishin, “not a single Ukrainian name can be found.”
“Let the oligarchs buy gas at the prices of their Russian friends, and this should worry Mr. Akhmetov, Mr. Firtash and other representatives of the financial oligarchy.”
Let us remind you that water supplies through the North Crimean Canal to the peninsula stopped two days ago. Today, water supply is carried out in a volume of 4 cubic meters per second with a demand of 80 to 90 cubic meters per second.
The State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine motivated this by the fact that Crimea owed UAH 1,7 million for water and did not enter into an agreement. In turn, Prime Minister of the peninsula Sergei Aksenov said that these reasons are far-fetched, and the authorities of the republic have submitted an agreement for the supply of water several times. But every time Ukraine found reasons not to sign it.
Due to the cessation of the supply of Dnieper water, according to the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Crimea Nikolai Polyushkin, the crops of rice, corn and grapes, which are under drip irrigation, may perish. The Crimean authorities plan to partially solve the problem by diverting river beds into the North Crimean Canal and developing underground sources.
In addition, according to Sergei Aksenov, equipment for the supply of water from the Krasnodar Territory is already being mobilized, and it is planned to drill wells in Sudak and Feodosia, where the problem with water supply is most acute.
The Verkhovna Rada stated that the cessation of water supplies to Crimea is in line with legal international practices (VIDEO)