Klimkin: Autonomy in the Donbas could lead to Russia's goal of federalization of Ukraine
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is convinced that granting autonomy to the Donbas may lead to the federalization of Ukraine and to its weakening and separation, and that “this is what Russia strives for.”
Providing autonomy to the part of the Donbas uncontrolled by Kiev is unacceptable for Ukraine because the Russian protectorate over this territory will be legitimized as a result, Pavlo Klimkin stated on Thursday, September 1 in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
“If we grant autonomy to the Donbas, as Russia wants, it will lead to the federalization of Ukraine, to its weakening and separation. This is what Russia strives for. It will be a legitimization of the Russian protectorate in the Donbas. After that the Russian strategy is to reintroduce this protectorate into Ukraine like a Trojan horse,” Klimkin stressed.
According to him, it is necessary to stop the attacks, allow the OSCE to monitor the entire territory and the border between Ukraine and Russia, and withdraw weapons in order to move toward peace in the Donbas. This will be a prerequisite for talks about “transparent and fair elections.”
“Can we start preparing for the elections having such an immense number of weapons in the Donbas and their constant inflow through the Ukrainian-Russian border?” Klimkin asked. The minister also stressed that Ukraine advocated for adherence to the Minsk agreements and negotiations in the Normandy format.