Donetsk leader seeks to ‘peacefully’ settle borders with Ukraine
The Russian-backed leader in the breakaway Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine says he would prefer to resolve questions about border demarcation with Kiev peacefully.
Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said at a press briefing on Wednesday he favored dialogue with Ukraine but reserved the right to ask Russia for help.
He said the situation in their long-running conflict had become critical, and the pro-Russian forces would win with support from “big Russia.” Pushilin accused Kiev of staging “provocations” and causing civilian casualties. “Aggression from the Ukrainian side is growing.”
Pushilin said an evacuation of women and children, which began last week, was necessary to enable the separatist army to focus on defending the borders of their territory. “Mobilization is growing, we see that. Both former militiamen and ordinary men who cannot stand aside when the fate of Donbass is being decided.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on February 21, recognizing the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent republics and instructed the Defense Ministry to deploy peacekeeping troops to the two regions.
The US branded the move as “the beginning of an invasion” of Ukraine, with President Joe Biden announcing new tough sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine and its Western allies have long been accusing Russia of preparing for an invasion of Ukraine by massing 150,000 troops and armaments near the border with that country. Russia has rejected the claim, saying the military build-up is defensive in nature due to its security concerns over Ukraine’s bid to join NATO.
Donetsk and Lugansk were turned into self-proclaimed republics by their ethnic Russian residents in 2014, which triggered a violent conflict between Ukraine’s government forces and the secessionists.
The conflict worsened following a wave of protests in Ukraine that led to the overthrow of a democratically-elected pro-Russia government, which was later replaced with a pro-West administration.
President Putin warned on Wednesday that the Kremlin was ready to resolve the current tensions over Ukraine through “diplomatic solutions,” but warned the West that Russia’s interests are “non-negotiable.” He had earlier warned that the US was deliberately designing a scenario to lure Russia into a war over Ukraine.
