Arseniy Yatsenyuk - Political Positions

Political Positions

“Ukraine is still not a democracy”

Yatsenyuk during the Yalta European Strategy conference 2011

Yatseniuk does not want Russian to become the second state language in Ukraine.

Yatseniuk wants European Union membership for Ukraine. and he sees this "because this means standards and values – a level of education, medical treatment, pensions, employment, freedoms, new technologies, and progress". Yatseniuk stated late 2009 that in its relations with the European Union, Ukraine should have a visa-free regime with EU countries. Yatseniuk stated on 20 April 2012 it was clear to him that the European Union will not sign the association agreement "until fully fledged democracy is resumed in Ukraine, free and fair elections are held, and the political persecution of opponents is stopped in Ukraine". Yatseniuk is against Ukraine joining the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; according to him "Ukraine's joining the Customs Union means the restoration of the Soviet Union in a slightly different form and with a different name. But this means that the country will become a part of the Russian empire. We know history. We have been there and we don't want to return there".

Yatseniuk is against privatization of state property and wants to simplify the civil service. Yatseniuk has stated in November 2009 that the question of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's withdrawal (then lease was originally supposed to end in 2017) from Ukraine is not currently on the agenda, and the question should be discussed in 2016. Yatseniuk was against the April 21, 2010 agreement in which the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea would be extended beyond 2017 by 25 years with an additional five-year renewal option (to 2042–47) in exchange for a multiyear discounted contract to provide Ukraine with Russian natural gas. Yatseniuk favours the creation of a special "vice prime minister for Crimean issues"-post.

In November 2009 Yatsenyuk stated that Ukraine's shadow economy "is a part of the current political system in Ukraine and that's why taking business out of the shadows will only be possible via a change in this system". In November 2009 he saw as his most difficult task if elected President "to break the political clan system that has been built up over the last 18 years". Yatsenyuk wants to create a common energy company with European Union countries and Russia.

According to Yatsenyuk it will be impossible to fight corruption without changing the country's system of government, "The system of government in Ukraine has in fact remained the same as it was under the Soviet Union".

Late July 2010 Yatsenyuk wrote a draft law which proposed to fine officials for violating the law "On Appeals by Citizens", thus holding officials personally accountable for ignoring the complaints of citizens.

In November 2009 he proposed that a referendum be held on if Ukraine should have an open list voting system. Yatseniuk is in favour of holding referenda, he calls this "nationalization of state power". The amendment of the terms and conditions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in Ukraine and a decision on Ukraine's membership of NATO and other military alliances are according to Yatsenyuk only possible through a referendum.

Yatseniuk has stated the convicted politicians Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko should be released and has proposed/written laws to make this happen. He also believes there convictions are a "difficult obstacle on Ukraine's path to the European Union." He wants to dialogue with the authorities only after Tymoshenko and Lutsenko are released.

Yatseniuk is against the participation of Ukrainian troops in peacekeeping operations abroad.