Ukrainian PM Yatsenyuk announces resignation amid political crisis

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has announced his resignation after weeks of a political crisis in the Eastern European country.

The premier said in a televised address on Sunday that he would formally submit his resignation to parliament on Tuesday.

“I decided to resign from the post of Ukraine’s prime minister. On Tuesday, April 12, the decision will be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament),” Yatsenyuk said, adding, “Since now, I see my goals broader than the powers of the government head.”

The outgoing premier stressed that destabilization would be “inevitable” in Ukraine if a new government was not formed.

He said his party, the Popular Front, would continue to remain a part of the ruling coalition in the parliament.

The resignation came two months after Yatsenyuk’s government almost narrowly dodged a no-confidence vote, which provoked various political parties to leave the ruling parliamentary coalition.

On February 16, the motion got 194 votes in the Verkhovna Rada, falling short of the 226 votes required to oust the prime minister.

SS