"As a result of the blockade, Ukraine lost its last sphere of influence on this territory," Poroshenko asserted. The president remarked: "At the same time, this dealt a blow to domestic energy, metallurgy, and the budget."
Continuing, Poroshenko explained: "The organizers of the blockade tricked society insofar as this was not a blockade of separate districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions - what blockade can there be when there is a hole in the border, including one of hundreds of kilometers with the Russian Federation? In fact this turned out to be a special operation aimed at pushing the occupied territories of Ukrainian Donbass to the Russian Federation."
However, according to the Ukrainian president, the Council of National Security and Defense's decision to cut off transport connections with the uncontrolled territories was compelled. In his words, this put an end to "the chaos which the 'blockaders' tried to plunge the entire country."
Poroshenko emphasized that the blockade's organizers should be ready to bear responsibility for their actions.
Just last week, Poroshenko enacted the decision of the Council of National Security and Defense to cut off roads to the territories of Donbass uncontrolled by Kiev until a full ceasefire has been established, heavy weapons have been withdrawn, and "seized enterprises are returned."
The Kiev government has stated that such measures are dictated by the need to "defend Ukraine's national interests in connection with the worsening situation in the conflict zone."
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