The action in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity had been held today at the humanitarian building of the Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University. The representatives from various university departments have taken part. This action took form of a press-conference. Participants spoke through Odessa media outlets to the city residents to express their position. The position is that Ukraine should be preserved as a single and unified state.
At the Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University the current situation in Ukraine and possible ways to settle the conflict has been discussed. The roundtable was held at one of the oldest universities of Ukraine, which this year will celebrate the 150th anniversary.
University staff is unanimous in the opinion that the crisis must be overcome peacefully. They appealed to Odessa citizens of political views to abandon the radical measures.
"We are categorically against the buildings’ seizure, tearing of flags, people beating. Such behavior shows that they are likely not Odessa’s people. Violence is unacceptable, we need a dialogue ", - said Associate Professor of the department of international relations and director of the Center for International Studies, Volodymyr Dubovyk.
Most roundtable participants condemned the events in the Crimea, and expressed confidence that at least half of the residents of the peninsula oppose the accession to Russia. Professor of Economic Sciences Sergiy Yakubovskij suggested that anyway even if the Crimea will timely become a part of the Russian Federation, very soon it will want to come back.
"If Ukraine will follow the way of European Union integration, visa-free regime will be launched. If Crimeans see that ordinary residents of Odessa region can freely travel through Europe, and they have to go to Russia to pay the money and wait for two weeks. If they see that foreign investments come into the country they will soon want to live again in Ukraine. To be short, we should make Crimea wants to be part of Ukraine again", - he concluded.
Also professors sketched their tasks. According to the Ass.Prof. of the Institute of Mathematics, Economics and Mechanics Natalia Vayspirt, teachers need to ensure the university ordinary activities, and at the personal contacts level inform the Russian colleagues about what is really going on in Odessa.
