Moscow’s agreement to hold Ukrainian elections in the DPR and LPR puts an end to the independence of the republics - expert
Moscow – Kyiv, January 22 (PolitNavigator, Mikhail Stamm) – Moscow’s readiness to return to Ukraine the territories and positions conquered by the DPR and LPR militias is not enough for Kiev. Poroshenko demands that elections be held in Donetsk and Lugansk according to Ukrainian standards and that the entire Donbass border with Russia be returned to the control of Kyiv. And the Kremlin supports at least one of these points - the Russian Federation agrees to Ukrainian elections in the DPR and LPR. And this puts a final end to the idea of independence of the DPR and LPR, says political scientist from Moscow State University Alexander Gushchin.
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According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, quoted by Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russia supports Ukraine’s position on the demarcation line, which was recorded in the annex to the Minsk Memorandum of September 19, 2014. Lavrov added that Moscow managed to secure the consent of the militias to withdraw troops from the line that Kyiv insists on. “We used our influence on the leadership of the DPR and LPR, and they also agree with this. Therefore, now it is necessary to do exactly this,” the minister said.
Based on the reaction of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Moscow felt that he was in principle ready to discuss this, but he put forward conditions. “The Ukrainians propose to develop a chronological order for the implementation of all other points of the Minsk agreements,” he said in an interview with "NG" Deputy Head of the Department of Post-Soviet Foreign Countries of the Russian State University for the Humanities Alexander Gushchin. – This is important to them because there are two key issues – holding elections according to Ukrainian standards and control over the border. If these points are implemented as written in the agreements, and as the Ukrainian side understands, then this will be a serious success for Kyiv, which will put a final end to the idea of independence of the DPR and LPR.”
After the withdrawal of weapons in the southeast of Ukraine, it will be necessary to establish political life, including through municipal elections, and Russia will support this process, Lavrov assured. “Very soon, I hope, it will be indifferent who moved the demarcation line in which direction, because it will be necessary to establish both economic life and the political process,” he said.
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