Former Ukrainian President: Donbass Has Now Become “Another Country”

The first President of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, said that Donbass has now become “another country”. Speaking on ZIK TV channel, former President Leonid Kravchuk said that no matter who comes to power in Ukraine, the Donbass region will demand more freedom and rights. Therefore, Kiev cannot hope that the situation in Donbass will be resolved.

"Listen, it (Donbass region) is a different country. They have their own schools for their children who are now adults. We should think about what we can do without losing our territory and sovereignty. I mean the form of government should be one of empowerment and freedom," Kravchuk said, adding that the government should rely on international experience to do this.

The conflict in Donbas began in 2014, when the Ukrainian government launched a military operation against the separatist regions after they refused to recognize the new government in Kiev. Donbass saw this as a coup. In February 2015, the warring sides signed the Minsk peace accords to end hostilities, but both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

The presidential election in Ukraine is scheduled to take place on March 31, with a record number of registered candidates: 44 people. In the 2004 and 2014 elections, the number of candidates running was 26 and 21 people, respectively. A survey from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology shows that Vladimir Zelensky is leading the race with 26.9% of the vote. President Poroshenko is second with 17.7% and former blond Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is third with 15.8%.