Ukraine Is Ready for Long-Term Donbas Reintegration

Safe reintegration of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts can take at least 25 years. This opinion was expressed by Vice PM, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov.

He believes that even the most transparent elections in Donbas will not change the situation for the better.

“Even if we hold elections in those territories tomorrow, it means that they will be free from the occupying forces and there will be no illegal armed groups, and Ukrainian flags will be everywhere. This territory will have remained a territory of war for a long time. Both in terms of mining and in the mentality of the people,” the minister said.

Reznikov explains that even some young people in the occupied territories now miss the Soviet Union, even though they have never lived at the time of its existence.

“One generation must change when you and I can say that the restored control of those territories by the Ukrainian authorities will also lead to overcoming the destruction of the discord in the minds that exists there. The children were born there who do not know what a free Ukraine is, and today they go to school. Therefore, it will take a long time in any case, and we should be prepared for it,” the prime minister explained.

The day before Reznikov’s statement about the need of revision of the Minsk agreements was regarded by Russian officials as refusal of all agreements reached earlier.

Bohdan Marusyak