Martial law, imposed in parts of Ukraine after Russia seized three of its naval ships in the Kerch Strait last month, was lifted on Wendsday, President Petro Poroshenko announced. The emergency measure was put place in ten regions along the Black Sea and Ukraine‘s borders with Moldova and Russia. The Martial law allows the goverment to ban public gatherings, even if they don‘t agitate for Russia. In this way, protests against the forthcoming election on 31 March 2019 can also be specifically prevented in this areas. Material law also allows the goverment to ban Russian men in combat age from entering the country, and puts the security forces, including reservists, on the highest alert.
Even thought the “state of emergency“, has now come to an end for the time being, this Poroshenko has welded even closer together with his Western supporters, NATO (USA, Great Britain, but also Austria and Germany). The British Defence Minister, Gavin Willamson, even sent a Royal Navy ship to the Kerch Strait as a sign of support for Ukraine as “it faces illegal acts of aggression on its sovereign territory“,he said.
Even though Poroshenko claimss that this martial law did not restrict the masses, they had to reckon with millitarized factories, expropriation and dissolution of parties and organizations at any time. Poroshenko himself has clearly shown with this “state of emergency“ that he is ready for war on this sides: Against Russia imperialism and against the masses and working class.
