by James Tweedie

UKRAINE’S parliament voted on Thursday to allow Western powers to place military forces and even nuclear weapons on its territory.

In a clear threat to neighbouring Russia, the Verkhovna Rada voted through amendments to existing legislation by a narrow majority of 240.

The Bill to deal ostensibly with “international peacekeeping and security” was proposed last month by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

It stipulates that peacekeeping missions are to be deployed “on the basis of decision of the UN and/or the EU.”

Previously, the presence of foreign military forces was only allowed following a special parliamentary vote at the request of the president.

A briefing note on the Bill said the the amendments would “create the necessary conditions for deployment on the territory of Ukraine international peacekeeping and security” missions without the need for additional authorisation.

The presence of such armed forces in Ukraine “should ensure an early normalisation of the situation” in Donbass, the eastern region where separatist forces have been fighting the post-coup government for more than a year.

But most worryingly, accompanying documents say that “potential carriers of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction are permitted under international agreement with Ukraine for short-term accommodation,” as long as Kiev has control over their use.

But that caveat will be of cold comfort to civilians in Donbass who have been repeatedly bombed and shelled by Kiev forces.

The new law also allows foreign forces to stay indefinitely.