スコットランドとウクライナ

　ウクライナ南東部ドネツク州の親ロシア分離派幹部らが、英スコットランド行政府のアレックス・サモンド首相宛てに書簡を送る準備を進めている。ロシアにいる分離派の関係者によると、書簡では分離派の立場を平易な英語で西側に説明するようサモンド首相に要請するという。同首相は英国からの独立をめざしているため、分離派は自分たちの気持ちを理解してくれると考えている。

2日前の11日にはドネツクとルガンスクで独立の是非を問う住民投票が実施され、両州とも圧倒的多数で支持されたと宣言したばかり。ウクライナと欧州連合（EU）、米国政府はこの投票が茶番劇にすぎないと批判した。一方のロシア政府は市民の意志として住民投票の結果を尊重すると述べている。

親ロシア分離派の指導者らは、サモンド首相を西側の中での潜在的な協力者と見ており、領土を取り戻したいとの願いを理解してくれると考えている。スコットランドでは9月18日に英国からの独立を問う住民投票が実施される。サモンド首相はスコットランドの主権をかねてから主張していた。

住民投票を受けて宣言された「ドネツク人民共和国」のロシア代表団の1人Andrei Kramar氏はモスクワでの13日の記者会見で、「スコットランドは理解してくれると思う」と語り、「（サモンド首相）が西側に対し、なぜドネツクとルガンスクがこのステップを踏んだかを平易な英語で説明してくれることを期待する」と述べた。一方、同氏はスコットランドとウクライナ南東部では置かれた状況が若干異なる点を認めている。

（ウォール・ストリート・ジャーナル日本版）　http://jp.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304408504579563432474549674

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2:53 pm CET
May 13, 2014
Emerging Europe
Ukraine Separatists to Ask Scotland’s First Minister to Support Their Cause

MOSCOW–Separatist leaders in the southeast Ukraine region of Donetsk are preparing a letter for Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond requesting that he explains their position to the West in plain English, a representative for the separatists in Russia said Tuesday.

The move comes two days after separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in southeast Ukraine held referendums on independence, which they declared as victorious. Authorities in Kiev, Brussels and Washington condemned the votes as a farce. The Kremlin, meanwhile, said it respected the result of the referendums as the will of the people.

The pro-Russia separatist leaders see Mr. Salmond, the leader of Scotland and a member of the Scottish Nationalist Party, as a potential Western ally that understands the desire of a territory to break away from its mother state. Scotland is set to hold a referendum Sept. 18 on independence from the U.K. Mr. Salmond has long been a proponent of Scottish sovereignty.

“I think Scotland will understand,” Andrei Kramar, who introduced himself as one of two official Russia representatives of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said at a press conference in Moscow. “We hope that he will explain to the West in plain English why the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have taken this step.” He admitted that the circumstances of Scotland and southeast Ukraine are somewhat different.

Mr. Kramar said the Donetsk People’s Republic leadership has made plans to ask other leaders around the world for recognition and support. At the press conference, Alexei Muratov, the second self-described Russian representative for the Donetsk republic, told a Cuban reporter that it was important for her leader, Raul Castro, to voice his support for the republic, too. He described the Cuban leader as close to the separatists “in spirit.” Many of the pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine look fondly on the Soviet era, when the Kremlin cultivated close relations with socialist Cuba.

There are some marked differences between the scheduled referendum in Scotland and the controversial plebiscites that took place on Sunday in southeast Ukraine. The British government has approved a Scottish referendum and promised to recognize its result, the authorities in Kiev have described the votes in east Ukraine as criminal. Kiev says there’s no basis for such a move in Ukrainian law.

In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, Mr. Salmond became embroiled in controversy when he said in an interview last month that he admired “certain aspects” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and praised him for restoring “a substantial part of Russian pride.” The Scottish leader described Mr. Putin as “more effective than the press he gets.”

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron later called Mr. Salmond’s comments “a major error of judgment.” The Scottish leader stood by his comments, however, highlighting that he also voiced disapproval in the interview for certain aspects of Mr. Putin’s rule.

Russian leaders repeatedly compared the mid-March referendum in Crimea to the upcoming one in Scotland as a way to legitimize a Russia-backed vote that authorities in Ukraine, the European Union and the U.S. condemned. The Russian officials said the disapproval by the West showed “double standards.”

A spokesman for the Scottish government declined to comment on the matter, saying the letter had not yet been received.
http://blogs.wsj.com/emergingeurope/2014/05/13/ukraine-separatists-to-ask-scotlands-first-minister-to-support-their-cause/

11 May 2014 Last updated at 12:12 ET
Salmond offers meeting with Ukrainians over Putin row

The first minister has offered to meet Ukrainians in Scotland after the row over his qualified praise for Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Alex Salmond has replied to a letter from Ukrainian community leader Michael Ostapko, who urged him to apologise.

Mr Salmond condemned "the illegal annexation of the Crimea" and said some comments were taken out of context.

Mr Ostapko described the letter as "tardy" but agreed to meet with Mr Salmond to outline his concerns.

In an interview for GQ magazine conducted seven weeks ago, the first minister said it was a "good thing" that Mr Putin had substantially restored Russian pride.

The remarks angered Ukrainians in Scotland in the light of Russia's annexation of Crimea.

In his reply to Mr Ostapko, the first minister said it was a matter of regret that some of the comments had been reported "out of context".

Mr Salmond did not offer an apology, but wrote: "As I made clear in the interview, and elsewhere, I disapprove of as range of Russian actions.

"Indeed, I have had no hesitation in condemning Russia's activities in the Ukraine, the illegal annexation of the Crimea and its continued support for armed militia in the east of the country.

We received a standard, somewhat tardy explanation strewn with political party rhetoric”

Michael Ostapko Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain

The first minister concluded: "The Scottish government values the substantial contribution made by members of the Ukrainian community in Scotland and I would be very happy to visit the Ukrainian Community Centre to meet with yourself and others in due course."

Mr Ostapko described the letter as a "somewhat tardy explanation" but has decided to take up the first minister's offer.

In response to Mr Salmond's letter, Mr Ostapko said: "We asked that he make an unequivocal public apology. He has not done so.

"Instead we received a standard, somewhat tardy explanation strewn with political party rhetoric and little on the only matter we raised from his GQ interview; the praise of Putin the architect of the dismantling of a nation, UKRAINE (not the Ukraine, an offensive description to Ukrainians)."

Mr Ostapko questioned some of the actions of the Scottish government in response to the Ukrainian crisis and said he would raise them with the first minister when they meet.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-27363928

BBC News - First Minister Alex Salmond 'could be banned' from Aberdeen council-run buildings via kwout

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