KIEV, Ukraine — Steelworkers employed by Ukraine’s biggest tycoon have joined police on patrol in some disputed eastern Ukrainian cities, and the company said Thursday that its officials had struck a deal with police and pro-Russian separatists in one of the cities for the insurgents to leave occupied government buildings.
It was unclear how significant the development was. Photographs posted by police did not reveal whether the steelworkers were armed, and it was unknown whether they intended to confront the armed separatists who have declared parts of eastern Ukraine independent.
The steelworkers are from plants belonging to Metinvest, part of the business empire of Rinat Akhmetov, believed to be Ukraine’s richest man. On Wednesday, Akhmetov issued a statement calling on Donetsk to remain part of Ukraine, arguing that independence or absorption into Russia would be economically catastrophic.
That warning did little to dampen separatist fervor in the Donetsk region, where insurgents calling themselves the Donetsk People’s Republic announced a parliament on Thursday. However, a Donetsk People’s Republic leader in Mariupol was party to an agreement with steel plant directors and local police on improving security in the city and vacating separatist-occupied buildings, according to a Metinvest statement. That could indicate that Akhmetov, through his companies, could play an influential role in the crisis.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, added pressure on Ukraine on Thursday by saying it must pay in advance for Russian gas supplies starting next month. Ukraine is heavily dependent on Russian gas.
