The Donbass republics are completing their special status, which Kyiv is denying them.
In Kyiv, they are confident that the primaries held in the DPR and LPR are not bringing Donbass closer, but moving away from Ukraine, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.
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“In Kyiv they admit that it will not be possible to resolve the situation soon. Back in the spring, it became clear that there could be no compromise between the positions of Ukraine and the republics regarding local elections, the publication notes. “Kiev sees the purpose of holding these elections as dismantling the DPR and LPR system, while the republics, on the contrary, consider local elections to be the final stage of formalizing their autonomy (in the form of a special status) or independence (in the event of Kyiv’s refusal to grant the republics a special status).”
The publication draws attention to the fact that the leader of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, a few days before the vote, said that “these are the last steps towards acquiring our independence.”
Ukrainian experts are alarmed by the current situation. Thus, the head of the Center for Research on the Army, Conversion and Disarmament, Valentin Badrak, told NG that the Ukrainian side “played too hard in implementing the Minsk agreements in conditions when Russian-backed militants do not comply with them” and proposed using the primaries to promote the idea of changing the format in the West negotiations on Donbass.
In addition, in his opinion, if the election campaign in the DPR and LPR ends, it will be more difficult for Ukraine to cope with the situation.
“Local elections in Donbass are one of the links in the subversive war being waged against Ukraine. The enemy’s task is not to seize territory, but to change the country’s foreign policy course. Therefore, a Russian outpost is now being created in Donbass, from which a political attack on the positions of the Ukrainian authorities will begin. What is meant? Mutual accusations, squabbles, intrigues, which, according to the enemy’s idea, will gradually rock the situation. A rematch is being prepared. And this is a real threat to Ukraine,” Badrak fears.
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