Ukraine mourns ‘patriots’
Ex-President Leonid Kravchuk is dead
05/10/2022, 10:18 p.m
His signature sealed Ukraine’s independence and the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. Former President Leonid Kravchuk has died. With him, the country loses a “truly historical figure”.
Former President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk has died at the age of 88. “Today the first president of independent Ukraine passed away,” Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. “A great loss for all of Ukraine,” he added. Kravchuk “founded the modern Ukrainian state”.
“He remained loyal to his country until the last moment and tried to improve our lives with his experience and knowledge. And he succeeded,” explained Klitschko. The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, praised the ex-head of state as a “wise patriot” and a “truly historical figure”.
Kravchuk was elected head of state in early December 1991 and a few days later signed an agreement with the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007) and Stanislav Shushkevich from Belarus, declaring the Soviet Union dissolved and founding a new alliance of the three republics became: the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Shushkevich died last week at the age of 87.
During Soviet times, Kravchuk held various posts in the Ukrainian Communist Party. He remained President of Ukraine until 1994. In 2020-2022 he was involved in the ongoing talks on the settlement of the conflict in Donbass as chairman of the Ukrainian group. Kravchuk “experienced turbulent times for our country” and led the country to independence, Ukrainian MP Dmytro Razumkov wrote on Facebook. “Today we are fighting for our independence and freedom. In a terrible war against the Russian invaders.”