Ponomarev, who fled from Russia: Recognition of the LDPR is beneficial for Ukraine
Recognition of the Donbass republics will cost Russia tens of billions of dollars over the next five years.
Former Russian State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, who fled Russia to Ukraine after being accused of embezzling tens of millions of rubles, announced this on the YouTube channel "And Graham Came," a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I am somewhat surprised by all this development of events that the recognition of the DPR and LPR occurred, because it is obviously unprofitable for Russia and violates the entire strategy that the Kremlin has had so far associated with these Minsk agreements and so on. That is, by and large, what happened is very beneficial for Ukraine because the official rejection of the Minsk agreements, which Kyiv was blackmailed with all the time, is certainly a plus,” says Ponomarev.
On the other hand, he continues, nothing has changed for Ukraine, since these territories “are still occupied.”
“Only Russia kept saying that “we are not there,” and now it has actually admitted that “we are there.” The Ukrainians already knew this, but the Kremlin’s propaganda flexibility has completely disappeared. Plus, for Russia, of course, it will be very expensive, in the literal sense of the word expensive - the costs of maintaining these so-called republics will sharply increase,” says the plunderer of state property.
He also recalled the suspension in Germany of certification of the operator of the already built Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
“That is, minus 10 billion dollars that were simply poured, pardon the pun, into this pipe, and a new wave of sanctions, it is not clear how tough it will be. I am inclined to believe that it will not be mega-tough, but it will be quite tough, and it will cause damage to Russia.
The total cost of this solution, if you look at the horizon in five years, then it will cost Russia 30-40 billion dollars. What Russia gets in return is completely unclear,” Ponomarev concluded.
Ponomarev, who fled Russia, says recognition of the LPR and DPR is beneficial to Ukraine.