[JURIST] Ukraine’s parliament [official website], on Monday, voted [press release] to give eastern regions a special status through constitutional changes in hopes of weakening their separatist drive. The bill was approved on a first reading, but still faces legislative and judicial hurdles. The resolution, aimed at decentralization of power, would divide Ukraine into “communities” which would be the “primary unit in the system of administrative and territorial structure.” Governance within these communities would take into account “historical, economic, environmental, geographical and demographical peculiarities, ethnic and cultural traditions.” Further, the draft law would “withdraw local state administrations from the constitutional regulation” and put an end to the institution of ears of local state administrations. Violent protests broke out after Monday’s vote, leaving several injured.

Russia’s ongoing conflict [BBC timeline] with Ukraine [JURIST news archive] has reinvigorated fears of Cold War Era politics and increased tensions between Russia and the West. In late February US Secretary of State John Kerry [official website] announced [JURIST report] that Washington is considering “additional sanctions” against Russia in light of the most recent events in Ukraine. Also in late February a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a revealed [JURIST report] that he had spoken with Ukraine Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin regarding the ceasefire in Ukraine. Ban expressed concern over the situation and informed Klimkin that the UN would continue to follow the Security Council’s guidance. Earlier in February UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called for [JURIST report] both sides of the Ukraine conflict to halt “the dangerous escalation in the fighting” in response to the human rights “situation in the east of the country.” In January the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement [JURIST report] saying that at least 5,086 people have been killed since the conflict in Ukraine began in April 2014, but expressed concerns that the real figure may be much higher.