The European Union has extended the “Crimean” sanctions against Russia, which Ukraine has hastened to inform first. In Kiev in recent days have intensified the debate about the fate of the Peninsula, namely the resumption of water supply to the North Crimean canal, closed in 2014. All these years the representatives of the Kiev authorities promised to save the inhabitants of the Crimea from the imminent drought in exchange for his return. This summer, the conversation became hotter in every sense. In Ukraine are seriously concerned about another escalation and another territorial losses in the battle over water to Crimea. Therefore, in Kiev again started talking about the possibility of water flow, but in reality, the Ukrainian authorities will not be able to do so, even if you really want to. “Ribbon.ru” explains why all the controversy and talk about the water for the Crimea — demagoguery and the next game in the Ukrainian politicians.
at Any price
Before joining of Crimea to Russia almost all of its water demand covered the North-Crimean canal, built in the middle of the last century. In 2014 Ukraine has blocked its gateways. On the Peninsula had problems with water supply, had to reopen underground storage. The city began shortages of water, affected agriculture. Ukrainian authorities have promised “at any cost” not to let the water in the Crimea: Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has set the goal to make the Peninsula “the most toxic” for Russia.
No negotiations, no attempts at small steps to bring us under the power supply of this water will not. This is a state policy – Boris Babin, permanent representative President of Ukraine in Crimea (the office is located in Kyiv) in 2018,
In 2019, the new President of Ukraine was Vladimir Zelenskiy, which caused some hope for improved relations between Moscow and Kiev. The authorities of the Crimea in August 2019 even going to ask the Russian leadership to initiate negotiations with Ukraine on the supply of water. Moscow replied that this is not necessary, as the water problem was solved long ago.
However, the new Ukrainian authorities were quick to warn that with the arrival Zelensky Kiev’s position on this issue will not change. The Ukrainian leader personally assured the journalists that he is not discussing with Russia the “water issue”. Soon, however, the rhetoric has changed.
With the beginning of the year Kiev has given several statements that look like attempts to probe public opinion about the resumption of water supply of the Crimea. They coincided with reports of the deteriorating situation on the Peninsula. So, in early February, in the administration of Simferopol said that the water in the city remains a maximum of 100 days. The situation soon stabilized, but in Kiev for a discussion.
First in the Verkhovna Rada was thinking about selling water to Crimea. This measure would allow to fill Ukrainian Treasury, the head of budgetary Committee Yury ��tourist injecting the funds, the party member Zelensky “servant of the people”. He referred to the example of Israel, which “sells water in almost belligerent country”, i.e. Palestine, to earn. At that time the country was already rocked by a wiretapping scandal of secret meetings at which the then Prime Minister Alexey Goncharuk painted in his own professional insolvency and called Zelensky, a layman in the economy. In government circles and in society discussed the economic failures of the Cabinet, so that the proposal Aristova looked very relevant.
Then the leader of the faction of the ruling party, Davit Arakhamia directly voted to resume water supply to Crimea, this time in order to return the Donbass. The idea of the compromise was the following: Ukraine gives water to the Peninsula, and for that gets control of the border. “I would go, because in the Crimea water will benefit the citizens of Ukraine. If this is the exchange that they [the Russians] are moving to Rostov, and we establish control over the border, I would have done the same,” said Arakhamia, stressing that it was his “personal position”.
Another month for the resumption of water supply spoke and the new Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmyhal appointed in early March. Speaking in Parliament, he confirmed that the supply of military and industrial facilities in the Crimea out of the question, however, Ukraine can supply water to Crimea for household needs and drinking.
Though tanks, though the cans, even though bottles we have to provide. We owe it to our Ukrainian – Denis Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine
Ukrainian media reported that the talks about the possibility to resume the water supply in the Crimea began shortly before the appointment of a new head of the office of the President Andriy Yermak, who then allegedly discussed this with the Deputy head of the Russian presidential administration Dmitry Kozak.
Experts believe that such changes in rhetoric can serve two purposes: either it is a sounding of public opinion, or, conversely, attempt to raise a wave of discontent and derail any suggestions of Russia to reach agreement on water issues, to shift the responsibility for the failure of negotiations on the opponents of the current Kiev authorities. Subsequent events have shown, it seems, in Kiev pursued a second goal.
What are you backing up?
Of course, statements about the possibility to resume water supply to Crimea has caused a heated discussion. In the party Poroshenko once again stated that the government took the course of treachery. The leader of the banned in Russia “Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people,” Refat Chubarov accused Arakhamiya in an attempt to sell the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians, and the words of Smugala called cowardly stab in the back.
After this Arakhamiya apologized for his words, and the office of the President of Ukraine in Crimeamu (the office of the Agency is located in Kiev, and Crimea has approx. “Of the tape.ru”) stated that water supply will ease the pressure on Russia and delay the “de-occupation” of the Peninsula — hence, the idea to realize no one is going.
the 80-90%
the needs of the Crimea in fresh water was provided by the North-Crimean canal until 2014
Zelensky and his associates are accused of capitulation to Russia since the days of the presidential race in 2019. Such statements are mostly ex-President Poroshenko and representatives of the old elite. For the year presidency Zelensky theme of “Russian revenge”, it would seem somewhat lost its sharpness and became a mandatory element of the political discourse of Ukraine, where the Crimea comes with Donbass. However, every time such charges the government recants and starts to make excuses.
A vivid example — the demonstrations and protests that broke out last autumn, after the signing of the formula of Steinmeier. Then took to the streets nationalists, including members of the party “Freedom” Oleg Tyagnibok and “National body”, created on the basis of the volunteer battalion “Azov”, as well as supporters of Poroshenko, and began to threaten Zelensky coup. Moreover, veterans of the fighting in the Donbass arrived in the village of Golden and took up combat positions, declaring that will not allow you to separate the troops. The radicals were well armed and return fire to the attempts of law enforcement to stop them.
In December Zelensky first went to the negotiations on the Donbass “Norman format” with the leaders of Russia, France and Germany. Nationalists have pitched tents under the Windows of the President’s office in Kiev, demanding that there should be no compromise, including the Crimea, and threatening unpleasant consequences.
At the summit in the “Majlis” said Zelensky folded: did not put the issue of Crimea and left the Peninsula for a discount on gas. But the camp still curled. Then, the experts drew attention to the fact that during the closed negotiations from the audience came the interior Minister Arsen Avakov, is also included in the delegation and told journalists that “zrady (translated from Ukrainian — “betrayal”) there.”
In March, radicals disrupted a presentation of the project “National platform for reconciliation,” which would introduce a former colleague Zelensky at the comic shop, who held the post of adviser to the Secretary of the national security Council (NSDC) Sergey Sivoho. The project involved a series of humanitarian initiatives aimed at rapprochement with the Donbas. Strong men then barged into the hall and attacked a government official. Not that the perpetrators are not punished — not even caught. It became evident that a decisive voice in matters of territorial disputes with Russia not the current government.
But if the question of Donbass international community is keenly interested in because fighting has continued there are some steps within the negotiation process, the question of the Crimea has long been frozen. It on the global agenda raised only in connection with the extension of already existing sanctions. No long does not lead discussions about the affiliation of the Peninsula. Even when Poroshenko Kiev was limited to populist statements on the fact that it is preparing to return to the territory even by military means, but a realistic strategy for this return was not disclosed.
Zelensky and in this respect mimics the position of his predecessor. As soon as the ratings fall or someone asks a question about the Crimea, he or his supporters make loud, but completely empty statement about another secret plan of action. And all seem satisfied with this state of Affairs and interested in the continuation of the conflict in the Donbass, and ideological nationalists, and want peace of ordinary citizens.
Nature
The method worked, but this year, to Crimea and especially its water supply will have to come back. In the case of abnormal heat this year may be the driest in the history of meteorological observations. Ukraine may face this summer with the drought because of the warm and snowless for the last hundred years of winter. Although water scarcity for the population of the question, the shallowing of the rivers have been forced to limit fences on HPP.
of 85 million cubic meters
were the reserves of fresh water in the Crimea in early summer. Last year this indicator was equal to 195 million cubic meters
In Crimea already noted the fact that the overall supply of water in reservoirs at the beginning of the summer was as much as 110 million cubic meters less than in the previous year. In mid-June on the Peninsula has dropped a record rainfall, but it was not enough to fill the reservoirs.
Kiev immediately intensified the debate about the North-Crimean canal. She’s got an interesting perspective: Supreme allied commander Sergei New said that Ukraine faces a new act of Russian aggression, this time due to the lack of water in Crimea. According to some of the Ukrainian side that Russia considered the plan to capture the land corridor to the Crimea.
In Kherson and Mykolaiv regions have stepped up security infrastructure, conduct kontrdiversionnoy and counter-terrorism activities, assured the commander of the military operation in Kiev Donbass. Kiev insists that it was not considering the supply of water to return control of Crimea and is ready to resist in case if it will be forced.
It is noteworthy that this time to discuss the water problems he joined the United States. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst has recommended Kiev not to put resources to “save to��high price of the Peninsula to the Kremlin.” And the specialists of the center, The Jamestown Foundation has warned that Russia may start another war with the Ukraine because of the water.
Reminded of himself and supporters to continue the war in the Donbass, and of course former President Poroshenko. At the border with Crimea in Kherson region activists even called for the introduction of criminal liability for calls for the resumption of the supply of water to the Peninsula. And in the Verkhovna Rada a draft resolution on the protection of the North-Crimean canal and water supply to Crimea only after the “de-occupation”. Ex-foreign Minister Klimkin said that the continuation of the dialogue on this subject will put the power not in the best light.
Talking about the supply of water is the end of national ideas about the liberation of the Crimea, and the beginning of the… discuss easing sanctions on the Crimea. Only the enemies of Ukraine and collaborators can talk about it, the point
the Pavlo Klimkin, former Ukrainian foreign Minister
Deputy Prime Minister for reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories Alexey Reznikov has assured that the water on the Peninsula is less and less, so the threat of attack from Russia is very real. But, according to him, Kiev is ready to consider the request of Moscow, only with the full “de-occupation” of Crimea and Donbas — and nothing else.
Running in circles
Returning to the agenda the issue of water lost Peninsula is easily explained. June 18 — the same day when the Ukrainian foreign Ministry again warned about the possibility of “water wars” with Russia — it became known that the government of Denis Smagala under threat of dissolution. Happy again rejected the program of activities of the Cabinet — the Cabinet, which in March quickly gathered after the resignation of former because of the need to immediately solve the worsening economic problems.
Now the problems have accumulated much more because of the epidemic of the coronavirus. In addition to the huge utility bills, stalled land reform, billions of dollars of debt on a salary to miners and the General decline of production, the government will have to deal with the impoverishment of the population and returned from Europe with migrant workers constituting almost a third of the population now sitting at home without a livelihood. As already wrote “Tape.ru”, burdened with debts to the budget of Ukraine will not be able to cope with these challenges without foreign assistance.
In these circumstances, selling water to Crimea would be saved, but the fact is that in reality, Ukraine cannot provide delivery, even if you want. The North Crimean canal unusable, said the head of the object management Sergey Shevchenko. The construction of a new section through which it would be possible to supply water, frozen in 2016, then he picglacial times were allocated money.
of 49 million
Ukraine spent for the construction of a dam on the North Crimean channel. If necessary it would be possible to supply water. She finished almost 90%
But even if Kiev had a change of heart, Moscow has already taken care of that situation on the Peninsula is less dependent on the weather and the whims of the neighbors. According to the Federal target program for the industrial enterprises of the region and the construction of new water intakes and moderniziriruyutsya old, said Minister of economic development of the Crimea Dmitry Shirako.
Now on the Peninsula introduced economical scheme water consumption, but a return to the hourly schedules of water supply to the population is not discussed, said the head of the state Committee on water economy and melioration Igor Weil.
First Vice-speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Yefim Fiks, called and did forget about the Dnieper water: North-Crimean canal unusable, and to spend money on upgrading it because of the unpredictability of Kiev.
no One can give guarantees about the safety and quality of water, given the hostile attitude to the Crimean Ukrainian nationalists
the Yefim Fiks, the first Vice-speaker of the Parliament of Crimea
Undoubtedly, the question of water supply of Crimea from Ukraine have in the internal Ukrainian politics and possibly flashes in the foreign policy — for example, at the next negotiations on the Donbass. However, it is obvious that he’s been transformed from a real subject of discussion in the manipulation that has meaning only in the strife of the Ukrainian elite. The debate around the North-Crimean canal became a fiction, a means of cheating the ratings or the ability to justify inaction. Again to translate this question into the plane of the real problems of elites profitable, and it is, quite simply, means. And the love of ratings and the fear of the opponents are not allowed to ask for these tools from a neighbor.
