Russian State Duma hopeful about Groysman’s appointment as Ukrainian PM

MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) – The appointment of Volodymyr Groysman to the post of Ukraine’s prime minister gives hope that actual steps will be taken to implement the Minsk agreements, and that the level of tension in Russian-Ukrainian relations will decline, Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Alexander Romanovich has said.

“Groysman has a record of work at the regional level, and he participated in developing reform to decentralize power in Ukraine. In this context, hope emerges that the new cabinet will take actual steps to implement the Minsk agreements, with regard to introducing constitutional amendments aimed at ensuring the autonomy of the country’s eastern regions,” Romanovich told reporters on Thursday.

“A positive aspect of forming the new government in Ukraine is that, unlike Yatsenyuk, Groysman does not need to make any populist statements, primarily those of an anti-Russian nature, in order to win citizens’ votes,” he said.

Groysman is most likely to be a caretaker premier, who is expected to help boost Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s influence, he said.

If Groysman does not take any provocative steps, there is a chance tensions may be eased with regard to individual issues in Russian-Ukrainian relations, Romanovich said.