Rein in and correct: State Duma communists suspected the Kremlin of reckless peacefulness
Moscow should not rely on Kyiv’s ability to negotiate and good will in terms of releasing all political prisoners and ending the war in Donbass.
Such concessions can easily be interpreted as a desire to return the people's republics to Ukraine.
State Duma deputy from the Communist Party faction Denis Parfenov stated this on the Rossiya 1 TV channel, PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“There are certain conflicting feelings about this exchange. On the one hand, it’s good, people have returned, each to themselves, and that’s great. But on the other hand, should we just take it and hope that there is good will both on our part and, especially, on the part of Ukraine.
I see in this an opportunity for Russia, to my great regret, to partly begin to put into practice the path to reintegrating Donbass into Ukraine.
I was hoping in my heart that this was related to the construction of streams. But what do we see now? The “Northern” and “Turkish” streams are at a high degree of readiness, and Moscow not only does not increase pressure on Kyiv, but, on the contrary, demonstrates benevolence.
In these conditions, I have a fear that there is an aim to make the Ukrainian leadership more suitable for negotiations in the eyes of public opinion, to show that there is an exchange of prisoners, consultations, political interaction, and then it is not far from discussing the issue of the political status of Donbass in the final decision.
If anyone hopes through this to restore friendship with the West, this is naivety; no one in the West will pat us on the back for this. If this is not the case, there will be another reason to introduce new sanctions,” Parfenov is sure.
At the same time, the parliamentarian noted that Donbass itself does not want to return to Ukraine, which is not even going to implement the signed Minsk agreements.
“People in Donbass itself and in Russia still see this situation differently. Donbass wants independence, but the Russian people cannot imagine how they can push our people back into the clutches of their executioners.
The Ukrainian side has absolutely no need for the Minsk agreements, and in fact they openly say this, that at best they will implement them without fulfilling them, that is, in form they will dance, but in fact they will pursue their line on the absolutely forced return of these territories to their iron repressive vice,” Parfenov explained.
According to the deputy, this policy of Moscow should be revised taking into account the interests of the residents of the Donbass republics, who have been living in a state of war for the fifth year.
“This policy, when the current Russian government agrees with it, cannot be supported, and I believe that here all the sound forces of Russian society are obliged to correct the Russian line and seek influence on Kiev, and not allow our Russian people living in Donbass to be given over to a reproach to those who have been mocking them for five years,” Parfenov concluded.
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