By Ukrainian shelling destructed supermarket on the edge of Lugansk. Image: Ulrich Heyden
Politologists from Lugansk About possible compromises with Ukraine. Telepolis reports from Donbass – Part 3
At the 14th. February was published on the website of the Munchner Security Conference a plan, as in "fuss" Can come to peace in the Ostukraine.
The plan was signed by the head of the Munchner Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, the former Minister of Defense of Great Britain, the Browne (under Tony Blair two-year Defense Minister), Igor Ivanov (from 1998 to 2004 Russian Au – Ministers) and other politicians and security experts from Europe and the USA.
The plan, which disappeared from the website, was then online on Saturday night, looks that the Ukrainian-Russian "Center for control and coordination" of the ceasefire stops his work again. The Russian officers had left the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) 2017.
In addition, the plan provides that the Ministries of Defense of France, Russia, Germany and Ukraine form workgroups, "to support the JCCC". The number of border inspection points between Ukraine and the "Folk republics" should be increased.
The plan sees an economic "Reconstruction of Donbass" through the EU. At an international giver conference "Could also remedies from Russia" acquire. Furthermore, the plan provides that in Donbass a Ukrainian "Free trade zone" for trade with the EU and Russia arises. Planned is also a dialogue about "National identity" and "tolerance" in Ukraine.
A juvenile of the Crimea and the "Folk republics" In the Ukrainian State Association, for the authors, no condition for the realization of the Zwolf Point Plan is.
Selensky: "We were not asked"
The Ukrainian Prasident Wolodymyr Selenski criticized that Ukraine prior to the prison of the plan "not asked" has been. The co-author of the Zwolf-Punkte-Plan, Wolfgang Ischinger, got an entry on the testified Ukrainian website "Mirotworets" ("Peacemaker"), Since he allegedly hurt the territorial integat of Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister of the "People’s Republic of Donetsk", Natalja Nikonorowa, explained, who have Zwolf’s point plan "No practical use". The proposals are "not concretely formulated" and "without consultation with the representatives of the popular republics" written. The 12-point plan is "The attempt to bypass the exploitation of the Minsk deal".
Political scientist: "Direct elections of the deputies – the goods a compromise"
At the end of January, the author was these lines in the "People’s Republic of Lugansk". Sergej Below from the Lugansk Au-Abin Ministry helps me to find interesting talk partners during my visit. In the Buro of the Human Rights Organization Memorial, I meet two politicalologists from Lugansk, Juri Medvedev and Aleksandr Procoko. I ask you about the situation in the "People’s Republic" and a possible peace process.
Procoma teaches at the University of Lugansk Politology. He is head of the Center for Sociological Research "Special status". Among other things, the center leads through opinion polls. Juri Medvedev teaches at the University of Lugansk International Law.
Part 1 of the reports from Donbass: At the front line in Lugansk Part 2: "We were already used to the war"
What about smuggling from Ukraine in the "People’s Republic of Lugansk" the end? Aleksandr Percerel: Those who control the goods export from Ukraine – these are soldiers of the Ukrainian army and Ukrainian volunteer battalions -, until 2017, non-legal protection fees for legal exports from Ukraine pressed. After the consideration of a total economic boy cot of Ukraine against the LNR in 2017, goods transport from Ukraine became smuggished in the LNR. One may now only 50 kilograms of goods from Ukraine in the People’s Republic of Lugansk imports. Who participated in the side of the LNR on the smuggling, was punished. Due to the economic blockade, there is no legal goods export from Ukraine to the LNR more. And the smuggling is not worth it anymore. Prices for Ukrainian food has increased significantly since 2017. In addition, the quality of certain Ukrainian goods have become worse than sausage. Sausage, dairy, flour, bread and good vodka are now produced in the LNR itself. Meat is now in the LNR as expensive as in Ukraine. From Ukraine comes mainly kase, juice and vegetables. How evolve the cost of living? Aleksandr Percerel: The minimum pension in the LNR has been higher since January than in Ukraine. The operating costs for apartments are lower in the LNR. The others for state employees in the LNR increased by 70 percent. Which parties are available today in the "People’s Republic of Lugansk" Aleksandr Percerel: There are no parties in the LNR, but two parties of parties. Both are centrally. the "Lugansk Business Union" (13 seats in parliament, u.H.) It is mainly based on rough and small business people and pursues economic interests. The movement "Peace for Luhanschish" (37 seats) is a movement with social democratic elements. She stands for a social state and that the state ames a certain responsibility for the burger. Many things that have been set up in the LNR were looking at a compromise with Ukraine. Although 90 percent of the residents speak in the LNR Russian, the Ukrainian language is anchored in the emergence of the LNR as the official language. At the elections 2014 and 2018, the ballot box were printed bilingual. In this way we show tolerance to the Ukrainian language.
The political scientist Aleksandr Procoko from Lugansk has little hope for an agreement with Kiev in just elections in the People’s Republic. Image: Ulrich Heyden How can elections be organized after the Minsk Agreement? Aleksandr Percerel: According to the Minsk Agreement, the People’s Republic of Lugansk and Donetsk are to take place after a Ukrainian law. The content of this law is intended to be tailored to the Agreement with the representatives of the People’s Republics. I do not believe that Kyw with us on a compromise. I can not imagine that in the People’s Republics parties like the "Right sector" or "National corpus" candidate. They have military units. Of course, politicians who emigrated from the popular republics to Ukraine want a revenge. Shall you are called here. Blob, who will election you? A compromise could be that the elections are not carried out according to party lists, but that only above direct mandates is chosen. That is called, the candidates can be found parties, but the parties themselves are not available. The timetable for the elections had to look like this: Ukraine adopted an electoral law in consultation with the People’s Republics, we focus on the organization and execution of the elections and the OSCE as well as their "Buro for democratic institutions and human rights" The election observation drove through. In these elections, the political representatives of the LNR International have been a legal status. You could not accuse you anymore that you are illegal. It is therefore worth this compromise to seek. How rough are the chances that it comes to a real ceasefire? Yuri Medvedev: The Ukrainian government is a hypocritical and inhumane policy. She directed an economic blockade against us, forced the retirees to pick up the pension in Ukraine and continues the military guides. Ukraine wants to get back the Donbass, but with what she does, she tells her the people here. It works well against the declared intention to bring the popular republics. Aleksandr Percerel: The troop deduction made last year at two sections of the dividing line was a symbolic act that has been implemented under enormous difficulties. It took three months. Maybe Selenski wants the troop deduction, but he does not control this process. According to the UN died in Donbass 13.500 people. According to our investigations, there are one third of civilians. Two-thirds are Ukrainian soldiers and soldiers of the People’s Republics. The proportion of volunteers from Russia under the dead is minimal. There are about 300 dead volunteers from Russia? Aleksandr Percerel: Maybe. I do not know the exact number. The coarse part of the people who fight here are people from here, who have taken a gun in hand. Sergej Below: Two months after taking office of Selenski, on 20. July, a woman was killed in a Ukrainian shell of the city of Perwomajsk and eleven people injured. The partial deduction of the Ukrainian troops and the ceasefire impresses people in the LNR no longer. How many ceasefies have been closed in recent years. She was all broken by Ukraine. The situation is demoralizing. Why do many of our soldiers have a difficult ratio to the Minsk Agreement? Because the agreement prohibits to answer protrusions of the Ukrainian side. The soldiers of the LNR are intended to demonstrate the population, but do not push. If you read the comments of our soldiers in social networks, then you will find the question again and again, why do not we do people?? The situation is like the Fubball. You are in the goal and can not answer. Aleksandr Percerel: Especially radical groups from Ukraine did not manage to publish videos on which to see how drones are thrown out bombs on positions of our soldiers and even the border areas of inhabited places. These videos refers to these radical groups in their sponsors. Image 1 of 21
At the front line in Lugansk – Telepolis reports from Donbass
Park with Setzlingen to the souvenir of the Ukrainian bombardment children of the People’s Republic of Lugansk. Image: Ulrich Heyden (Ulrich HeydenTo)