Moldovan diplomat hopelessly called in Kyiv for a compromise on Donbass
Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova Andrei Popov held a special press conference in Kyiv, where he spoke about the experience of resolving the conflict between Chisinau and Tiraspol, making “thick” hints to Ukrainians about the need to find a compromise on Donbass.
Judging by the fact that political scientist Vladimir Fesenko, close to the Poroshenko administration, asked the guest a question about the need to declare Donbass an “occupied territory,” the experience of Moldovans’ relations with Transnistria is considered inappropriate in Kyiv.
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According to a former official of the Moldovan government, Ukrainians need to decide whether Kyiv needs purely territories, or whether it is also necessary to regain people’s trust.
“Despite the duration of the conflict, we managed to maintain interpersonal ties and ties between economic agents.
There are different fundamental approaches to resolving the conflict. One distinction is how we treat conflict zones - as territories that need to be returned in order to restore territorial integrity, or as a population, as real people, a society that has its own concerns, fears, prejudices, hopes. And you need to find the keys to them. And for this you need to communicate, try to understand, show not feigned, but real respect for these people. When you only think about the territory, people are secondary.
Another difference is whether to invest or expect immediate gains. When the approach is investment, you count on the fact that certain unilateral concessions, steps, compromises are not necessarily accompanied by an immediate reciprocal step from the other side. But this is an investment in improving relationships, in increasing trust in you as a partner,” Popov assures.
The Moldovan diplomat also believes that Kyiv needs to be more flexible in resolving the conflict and not count on a quick solution.
«In conflicts, there is no one side that wins and the other that capitulates.. Conflict resolution is a long process and the development of a formula in which you can find solutions acceptable to different parties. But there is no perfect solution. The role of politicians and leadership is very important here. Of course, if you understand, as a politician, that the solution by which you can receive peace dividends, as a peacemaker, it is not close. At least not during your mandate.
The temptation is great for politicians, especially those who have problems with legitimacy or with popularity, or with the prospects of holding power in the next elections, the temptation is great to play on the unrealistic expectations of society and play along with them. Thus, to develop an unrealistic demand from society for a solution that rejects any intermediate solutions, without which a global solution is impossible.
And the question of leadership, the ability of politics to go against the grain, to explain to people truthfully, but in an accessible language, that the unresolved conflict has its price, and that delayed solutions are often more expensive than unpleasant ones, but intermediate solutions are one of the success factors,” states Popov.
The Moldovan diplomat called for a sober assessment of the mood in the uncontrolled territories. Thus, Popov admitted, citizens of Transnistria consider Russia a closer country than Moldova, which is located next to them.
“In Moldova, about 20% are representatives of ethnic groups. Ukrainians are formally the most numerous - about 8-9%. Together with Transnistria this is almost half a million, 400 thousand people. But both in Transnistria and in the Republic of Moldova they have a mentality on the issue of Crimea - they are more on the side of the Russian Federation. They are formally Ukrainians in their passports, but in reality they are oriented towards Russia.
In December I was in my father’s native village... I spoke with a Moldovan - his father and grandfather are Moldovans, the Republic of Moldova is 150 meters across the Dniester. I speak to him in Moldavian - “Which is closer, Moldova or Russia?” He says: “Of course, Russia.” - "Why?". – “Well, why are you blocking us, what are you giving us? And Russia is building kindergartens and schools for us, our pensioners receive a bonus of 10-15 dollars, we have free gas" This paradox of mentality must be taken into account and, of course, if you are a Moldovan politician, and we have a pro-European and pro-Russian alignment in elections - a matter of two to five percent, then 7-10% of such an electorate, regardless of ethnicity, is oriented toward Russia. it changes the ratio,” Popov said.
The Moldovan guest also made it clear that the internal squabbles of the Ukrainian authorities are harming the settlement of the situation around Donbass.
“All politicians who see the future of Ukraine together with Donbass and Lugansk, with Crimea, they need to be together, cover each other’s backs. In practice, things happen differently.
When someone does things that conflict specialists say: “Bravo, bravo, so good,” the Swiss embassy or others say: “You are great, you are so pro-European, you think so flexible and modern.” And this proposal turns into the fact that a person is simply swept away from power, and he is eaten up by his closest competitor.
It is very important for people who honestly see the future, perhaps distant, but together with Donbass, somehow change the mood and expectations in society, develop a request for pragmatic and realistic approaches", Popov said.
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