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Ukrainian and Foreign Politicians Comment on Yatsenyuk's Resignation

© AP Photo / Andrew Kravchenko, PoolUkraine's President Petro Poroshenko, right, celebrates with Arseniy Yatsenyuk after Yatsenyuk was appointed as Prime Minister during the opening first session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, right, celebrates with Arseniy Yatsenyuk after Yatsenyuk was appointed as Prime Minister during the opening first session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev - Sputnik International
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Most Ukrainian politicians agree that Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s resignation as Ukraine’s prime minister won’t solve numerous problems that the country is currently facing. Here is what well-known Ukrainian officials, as well as some foreign politicians, had to say about the changes in the Verkhovna Rada.

In this file photo taken on Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenuk, speaks on the phone in Parliament in Kiev, Ukraine. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 - Sputnik International
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk Announces Resignation
Yatsenyuk announced his resignation as the prime minister on Sunday. During his televised resignation speech, Yatsenyuk said he quit because his colleagues in the parliament couldn't "sustain high standards" and refused to follow his plan of saving Ukraine.

Many Verkhovna Rada deputies said the resignation of the prime minister wouldn't solve the current political crisis in Ukraine, as Yatsenyuk's departure is only half the battle.

Although many expected Odessa Governor Mikheil Saakashvili to express his satisfaction in a more animated way, the former Georgian president was somewhat reserved and aimed at keeping up the spirit of a "revolution" to save Ukraine.

"Rough years are spent fighting for the country's freedom. After them others will come and they'll also be difficult… Our fight brought the first result, but to be honest, I have more than enough reasons to worry amid rigged and behind-the-scenes political games of recent days," Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page.

Ukraine's Radical Party leader Oleh Lyahsko, known for his loud-mouth and eccentrics, didn't hold back his joy, but also added that more resignations are needed to avoid another revolution in Kiev.

"A political crisis can't be solved by the resignation of Prime Minister Yatsenyuk alone, the fact that we welcome," Lyashko said.

The Radical Party leader added that President Petro Poroshenko's attempt to nominate Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Groysman as the next prime minister is Poroshenko's attempt to "grab political power, which would only aggravate the crisis and lead to a new revolution."

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The leaders of the Opposition Bloc political party said Yatsenyuk's resignation is the result of failure of all parties that formed the ruling coalition in the Verkhovna Rada. "An attempt to put together a new coalition made out of fragments of the old coalition doesn't make sense," party officials said, Lenta.ru reported.

The Opposition Bloc added that if the government in Kiev trusted Ukrainians it wouldn't need "Georgians [Saakashvili], Lithuanians [former Minister of Economy Aivaras Abromavicius] and other exotic people." That's why, the party said, the Poroshenko government needs to resign, Lenta.ru reported.

Poroshenko himself was obviously against his own resignation, stating that there won't be a new parliament, according to TV Channel Ukraine 112.

Yatsenyuk's resignation also captured the attention of some top international leaders. Unlike their Ukrainian colleagues, however, they were more sympathetic to Yatsenyuk.

US Vice President Joe Biden held a telephone conversation with Yatsenyuk, thanking him for his service during his term in office.

"The Vice President thanked Prime Minister Yatsenyuk for his partnership during a historic time for Ukraine. He congratulated the government of Ukraine on its accomplishments over the past two years, in particular on the strides it has made on difficult but necessary economic reforms, the signature of the European Union association agreement, and the work it has done to increase energy independence," the readout of US Vice President Biden's call said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also called Yatsenyuk and thanked him for his contribution to the implementation of national reforms and for his attempts to protect the country's independence.

Merkel also thanked the prime minister for partnerships and "the high levels of mutual trust and effective cooperation between Ukraine and Germany," the statement of the German chancellor read, according to Ukrinform. 

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