Ukraine PM offers more power to eastern regions to quell crisis

Arseniy Yatsenyuk meets officials in Donetsk, where pro-Russian groups demand a referendum on independence from Kiev
Arseniy Yatsenyuk tells regional leaders he is committed to devolving More powers to Donetsk in Ukraine's regions. Photograph: E rem !ukatsky " AP

#riday $$ April %&$' (n an attempt to deepening the closure o )uelle *risis in Eastern Ukraine + the interim Prime minister has More *lose to devolve power to the regions. Arseniy Yatsenyuk met o icials in Donetsk on #riday+ where pro,-ussian separatists are occupying government .uildings and demanding a re erendum on independence rom /iev. Yatsenyuk did not meet with representatives o the protesters+ nor did he o er any detail on how his vision o devolution di ered rom that o the separatists. As (0 came the -ussian oreign minister+ 1ergei !avrov+ said -ussia did not take over Ukrainian territory .ut repeated to !evel *all or a More More /iev to grant powers to regional authorities. 23e !evel Ukraine to .e current 3hole 3ithin (ts 4orders+ .ut 3hole with ull respect or the regions+2 state,run -(A 5uoted !avrov as saying. 0he o icials whom Yatsenyuk met asked him to allow re erendums on autonomy or their regions+ not on secession. Meanwhile+ 6n #riday+ European energy *ommissioner 7uenther 6ettinger said the EU was working some o (ts Pay 6n a plan to help Ukraine gas .ills to -ussia+ telling Austria's 6-# radio there was 2no -EA168 to panic2 a.out -ussian gas supplies to Europe .

23e are in close contact with Ukraine and its gas company to ensure that Ukraine remains a.le to pay and the de.ts that the gas company has to 7a9prom do not rise urther+2 he said+ adding he would meet Ukraine's energy and oreign ministers on Monday . 2( AM Preparing a solution that is Part o the Aid package that the (M#+ the European Union and Ukraine and to giving the #rom Payment 4ank is 6pen or which .ills will .e possi.le. 2 0he -ussian President+ :ladimir Putin + had sent a letter to the leaders o $; European countries that -ussia could cut gas supplies to Ukraine 3A-8(87 6n 0hursday+ leading to a reduction in onward Deliveries to EU nations+ .ut said #riday that -ussia would ul ill 6n (ts o.ligations to European gas clients. <owever+ he said an advance payment option remained on the ta.le or Ukraine i it did not end its 2a.solutely intolera.le2 ailure to pay its de.ts. 6ettinger had advised against taking the threat to Europe at ace value+ saying -ussia wanted to deliver gas and needed the revenue. 2Part o the .ills is =usti ied. Another part is un=usti ied. 3e will put together a package in the weeks ahead so that paying the =usti ied open .ills will .e possi.le+ ... not according to Mr Putin's accounting .ut rather .y what is contractually correct + 2he said. 6n #riday+ the /remlin said the EU had not yet responded to Putin's appeal or talks+ adding that any talks with EU leadership on the gas issue would not .e 2 ully ledged2 without the participation o countries that .uy -ussian gas. Putin's spokesman+ Dmitry Peskov+ also told reporters he did not understand why the U1 , which has accused -ussia o using energy as a tool o coercion , was 5uestioning Moscow's decision to increase the price it charges Ukraine or gas. *alled 6n (ts *onstitution to change Ukraine to -ussia has .ecome a 1tate in which regions would have ederalised More *ontrol o 0heir own A airs. ederalisation Ukraine's 7overnment has resisted+ saying that would lay the groundwork or the country's 4reakup. 0he pro,-ussian protesters in Donetsk+ who have held the regional administration .uilding since 1unday+ initially called or a re erendum on secession .ut later reduced the demand to one on autonomy+ with the possi.ility o holding another later on whether the region would remain part o Ukraine or seek to .ecome an autonomous region within -ussia. 0he 8ato secretary general+ Anders #ogh -asmussen+ on #riday again urged -ussia to pull .ack its troops rom Ukraine's .orders+ and added that 8ato was taking legitimate steps to deal with the insta.ility created .y -ussia's 2illegitimate2 actions. 1peaking in Prague+ the *9ech President+ Milos >eman+ *alled 6n 8ato and the European Union to take pre,emptive actions to deter ro.ust 60<E- parts o Ukraine

a ter invading -ussia #rom (ts takeover o *rimea. <e stopped short o giving details. (n a .id to apply pressure on -ussia+ the European Union has warned Moscow o urther sanctions or ratcheting up tensions in Ukraine. A senior European Union o icial who spoke on the condition o anonymity said the %;, nation .loc's oreign ministers would consider .roadening the list o people sanctioned to deter -ussia rom urther desta.ilising the situation in eastern Ukraine. 0he o icial said ministers at ne?t Monday's meeting in !u?em.ourg were not e?pected to decide new sanctions .ut could agree on ordering the preparation o a new list o targets.