Deputy Minister for the so-called “temporarily occupied territories” and internally displaced persons Georgy Tuka is convinced that Russia will return Donbass to Ukraine by 2018.
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About it he stated in an interview with the Kyiv publication “Apostrophe”.
“I am convinced that they will return the DPR and LPR. But they will hold on to Crimea until the last. And here it is very important not to reduce sanctions pressure. The most likely way for the return of Crimea is when centrifugal processes begin in the Federation itself. Now this may seem like fantasy and wishful thinking, but if you remember the mid-1990s, when everything was cracking up there, then it doesn’t seem so incredible. And it’s not for nothing that Putin and the company are trying their best to get rid of sanctions,” he said.
Speaking about the timing of the return of Donbass, Tuka named 2017 - maximum 2018.
“I'm optimistic. I have a feeling that this will happen in 2017, maximum in 2018,” the official said.
Earlier it was reported that Croatia will provide Ukraine with advisory assistance on the “reintegration” of the uncontrolled territories of Donbass and Crimea.