Moscow —Russia has rejected President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal to let the Ukrainian population decide on territorial concessions in the eastern Donbass region through a referendum.
“This area is Russian territory,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said, referring to Russia’s 2022 annexation of the Ukrainian region, the Interfax news agency reported.
A few months after the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia unlawfully incorporated the Donbass – which includes the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk – as well as the provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya into its state territory through a constitutional amendment.
Zelensky stated on Thursday that only the Ukrainian people could decide on territorial issues — for example, through a referendum.
On the sidelines of a trip by Putin, Ushakov said in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat that Zelensky’s aim was to include proposals in the peace plan with the United States that would be unacceptable to Russia during negotiations.
The Kremlin official stated that Russia had not yet seen the documents currently being discussed with leading representatives of European states. A new version could be worse and unacceptable for Russia, he said.
Ushakov also reiterated Russian demands that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the Donbass for a ceasefire.
For the first time, there are now official statements that Russia could envision a demilitarized zone in the Donbass — under Moscow’s administration.
“It is quite possible that there will be no immediate- armed forces there – neither Russian nor Ukrainian. Nevertheless, the National Guard, our police will be there; everything needed for maintaining order and organizing life will be present,” said Ushakov.
Russia’s National Guard is equipped with weapons systems and military-like powers — and is also deployed in the war.
Putin had reported new successes in the advance in the Donbass the previous day and stated that Russia could achieve its war goals on the battlefield as well. The aim now is to push the Ukrainian forces out of the part of the area not yet controlled by Moscow.
(Korea times)
