One petition was started on Nov. 26 at whitehouse.gov. It asks U.S. President Barack Obama to impose personal sanctions on Yanukovych and the Cabinet of Ministers. The goal of the petition is to get 100,000 signatures by Dec. 26 in hopes of a White House response. Anyone can sign petitions by registering on the White House site. Only the initials of the person signing are shown and, in case of American residents, their city and state of residence. The petition targeting Yanukovych was opened by a person with the initials “D.G.” on Nov. 26 and has received more than 1,300 signatures in the first day. However, any serious step like sanctions would undoubtedly be controversial and require support not only from the Obama administration, but also the U.S. Congress.
Specifically, the petition says:
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On the 21 November 2013 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted resolution to suspend the preparation process to conclude Association Agreement with European Union. We cannot accept the fact that President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his government deny the right of the people of Ukraine to become closer to the Western civilization. We demand to impose personal sanctions on Mr Yanukovych and Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine members unless Mr Yanukovych signs the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement during Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on 29 November 2013: The sanctions should include but not be limited to:
– Ban to enter the U.S. and EU for Mr Yanukovych and Ukraine government members families.
– Freeze bank accounts of companies affiliated with them
Another petition drive, also started on Nov. 26, was started by Dmytro Potekhin, a 38-year-old Ukrainian, at change.org. It petitions Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, a European law enforcement. It questions the entire legitimacy of the Yanukovych administration.
“I want to help stop the usurpation of power by the Yanukovich clan, open another chance for the real reforms and European integration of Ukraine,” Potekhin said in an email response, even though he doesn’t realistically expect to achieve what the petition seeks. “Frankly it’s rather about informing the public on the issue than expecting any serious response from the Europol.”
He has collected only five signatures thus far and his request of the Europol chief is this: “Check if Mr. Yanukovych is the legitimate president, ask him to release (imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Yulia) Tymoshenko. Otherwise associate him with the European Union penitentiary system deeply and comprehensively.”
Kyiv Post chief editor Brian Bonner can be reached at bribonner@gmail.com
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Editor’s Note: Join top government officials, leading industry CEOs, business owners and other experts to discuss Ukraine’s future after the Vilnius Summit at this year’s Kyiv Post Tiger Conference, which will be held on Dec 3 in Premier Palace Hotel. The guests and speakers will assess the effects on Ukrainian political and economic life of not signing an association agreement with the European Union at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Nov. 28-29. Register now
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