Ukraine passes law on reintegration of Donbass, wants more bloodshed

Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that Ukraine was trying to avoid the implementation of the Minsk Accords by adopting the law on the reintegration of the Donbass. The purpose of the new law is to return Donetsk and Luhansk regions "by military means," Matvienko believes.

Photo: AP photo

Ukraine buries Minsk Accords. 61840.jpeg

The Ukrainian Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) passed the law on the reintegration of Donbass on January 18. The law does not make one single step towards the peace process, Valentina Matvienko said, the press service of the Federation Council said.

"The law has buried the Minsk Accords. There is not a single step in the direction of the peace process. This is very disturbing," the speaker stated.

According to her, the newly adopted law says that Kiev "continues to count on attempt to return Donetsk and Luhansk regions through the use of military means." The guarantors of the peace process - Russia, Germany and France - have put pressure on the Kiev authorities, "compelling them to implement the Minsk agreements step-by-step, but the leadership of Ukraine has something completely opposite to what the agreements say," she added.

Matvienko also expressed her astonishment about Kiev's "rude attitude to the brotherly people." "They call us aggressors and occupants. They say that there are virtual armed forces of Russia on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions." In her opinion, Ukrainian lawmakers try to make Russia a scapegoat.

On Thursday, January 18, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed the law about the reintegration of the Donbass, which recognises certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as territories occupied by Russia, whereas Russia is referred to as an aggressor state.

The document empowers Kiev to use military force and means to counteract aggression on the part of Russia. In addition, the law holds Russia accountable for the material and moral damage caused to residents of the occupied territories.

Yet, the law has not included an amendment to denounce the treaty of friendship with Russia: the amendment has not received a sufficient number of votes (104 with the required minimum of 226). To crown it all, Ukrainian MPs have refused to support the amendment on the termination of diplomatic relations with Russia.

Pravda.Ru