Zelenskyy Not Ruling Out Referendum On Donbas If Neither Of Plans Work

Umer Jamshaid Published June 25, 2021 | 01:20 AM

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2021) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if none of the settlement options in Donbass works, the issue of breaking all ties with the region will be put on a referendum.

According to a May poll by the Rating group, 69 percent of Ukrainians believed that the regions of Donbas, temporarily not controlled by Kiev, should be part of Ukraine, as before. Only 10 percent support the provision of a special status to the region. At the same time, the idea of leaving territories to Russia was supported by only 3 percent, the independence of these regions is supported by only 6 percent. However, the most radical politicians sometimes call for abandoning the region and fencing it off with a wall.

"'The wall' is not just words, it is not just something that someone is building. The wall is everything: the wall in all respects, in all communications. What to do with the people who are there for us? Not paying your pension? What to do with the 'Water of Donbas' enterprise? Not supplying them with water? Then, Mariupol will not receive water. Okay, they say make a detour.

We will do it, in any case, but not in order to disconnect people from the water," Zelenskyy said in an interview with the 1+1 broadcaster.

He believes that such a decision should be made by the people of Ukraine at a referendum.

"That is, the wall is a complete break in relations in one form or another. Therefore, I believe that this plan can exist. But I believe that the decision to launch this plan should be made by the people of Ukraine. Therefore, when I said that it is very it is important to be able to express your opinion and the decision that a law on a referendum is needed � this is one of such reasons," Zelenskyy said.

The president expects that it will be possible to find ways to resolve the conflict, but does not rule out a complete severing of ties with the region.

"Yes, if we do not have any alternative agreements with the United States, with the Russian Federation, separately and in parallel with Europe. In any case, the Normandy format will work or not. If all this does not work out, then the people of Ukraine will vote on the wall," Zelenskyy said.