It is widely believed that the President of Ukraine was indirectly referring to Russia when he said during his working visit to Kharkiv region that the "threat from the East" would remain for decades and for that reason "every new generation of Ukrainians should have army experience".
"A grim cocktail of militaristic and russophobic disposition is being forced upon Ukrainian society. This is what we should understand from Petro Poroshenko's claims" the lawmaker told RIA Novosti.
Klintsevich stressed that if there are any illusions left about Poroshenko's somewhat centrist position, they should be dropped for good.
"He obviously has evolved during the last six months," the lawmaker noted, "Taking sides with the more conservative part of the Ukrainian establishment. Moreover, it's him who currently guides Kiev's agenda, being at the forefront with bellicose russophobes and militarists."
Fighting began in Donbas — Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions — last April and hasn't completely stopped even after signing of the Minsk agreements. According to the recent data from the UN, more than 6,800 people have died since.
"One may criticize The Minsk agreements, but they have given us a head start, they have given us time to strengthen Ukrainian defense capability, and they have enabled us at least partially to overcome the obvious military-technological lagging behind Russia," Poroshenko said.
Ukraine and the West have repeatedly accused Russia of helping Donbas with weapons and soldiers, but Moscow insists it is not involved in Ukrainian inner conflict.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called such claims "unsubstantiated insinuation" without evidence.
