22.10.2019, Moscow.
There has been no progress in the preparation of the Normandy Format summit, noted Assistant to the President for International Affairs Yuri Ushakov on October 21.
He added that Moscow is “concerned” about the increased nationalist activity in Kiev and along the force separation line after the Steinmeier Formula was signed and the schedule of force separation was approved for certain segments of the contact line.
Political scientist and leader of the Essence of Time movement Sergey Kurginyan, speaking on the air of the Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov TV program on the Russia One channel on October 20, stressed that the Banderization of Ukraine has continued after the new president, Vladimir Zelensky, came to power.
“Banderization is not becoming a thing of the past, and none of the main things that promote this Banderization are being cancelled. Zelensky is not switching to any new format strategically,” Kurginyan explained.
The political scientist noted, “This is the same thing from a different view. Zelensky is not some new paradigm that people hoped for, even if a transitory one. This is all the same, but in a slightly softer version. As soon as he tries to move towards another paradigm, he gets firmly told what restrictions exist. But to overcome these restrictions, he has to be not Zelensky, but a strong-willed, serious, real politician. Instead, he sidestepping and zigzagging.”
Therefore, Kurginyan believes, the current Ukrainian authorities cannot fulfill the Minsk agreements, because a different format for the Ukrainian state and another concept of Ukrainian politics are required for that. But in that case, Lvov would demand autonomy following Donetsk and Lugansk, and maybe this is when it will stop its attempts to dictate its policy to Russia and Ukraine.
“A minority dictates the politics for all of Ukraine. A serious, passionate as they like to say, and internally unbridled minority. But as long as a minority is dictating, no change in the political format is possible. They [the authorities] must either initiate an anti-terrorist operation somewhere between Lvov and the other western cities, or they must move this a aside slightly, like with a bulldozer, to keep it content there. Then Donetsk could also have some opportunities to develop,” Kurginyan stressed.
According to the political scientist, the Mink agreements will keep failing as long as the current situation in Ukraine remains. Because for them to be fulfilled, a different format for Ukraine is required, and Zelensky cannot do that.
On October 2, the members of the contact group signed the Steinmeier Formula. Representatives of Ukraine were among the signatories. According to the signed documents, the DPR and the LPR shall be granted a special status after elections take place on these territories. Until that moment, the law is in force on a temporary basis.
After the agreements were signed and Zelensky recognized them, protests by Ukrainian nationalists began in Ukraine.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
