Ukraine's Ex-President Says Breakaway Donbas Became 'Different Country' By Now

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2019) Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, has already become a "different country" and Kiev must think about "ceding" certain rights and freedoms to the breakaway republics, Ukrainian former President Leonid Kravchuk said on Sunday.

"In any scenario, no matter who comes to power, Donbas will never be the same ... It is a different country. Children have grown up, schools are different. We should think what could we back down on without ceding territory and sovereignty. I mean the form of government, rights and freedoms," Kravchuk told the ZIK television channel.

At the same time, he refused to say what political concessions Kiev could make in Donbas, suggesting to examine international experience and consult "international experts."

The conflict in Donbas started in 2014, when Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed republics that refused to recognize the new government in Kiev, which came to power after what they considered to be a coup.

In February 2015, the warring parties signed the Minsk peace accords to end the hostilities in the region, but the situation has remained tense, with both parties accusing each other of ceasefire violations.