The Kiev millionaire, who called for making the Donbass “deserted,” is now luring the LDPR with “love”
Kiev millionaire Gennady Balashov, who makes money by renting out real estate in the elite Lipki district, who was previously put on the wanted list in Russia for calling for the bombing of gas pipelines, and also called for making the Donbass deserted, has changed his rhetoric and now proposes to achieve the loyalty of the residents of the LDPR with “love.”
“How to return Donbass? Only love and understanding. Pay pensions, withdraw troops, invite leadership to Kyiv, start trading openly, do not touch the topic of language, give more independence, help cope with devastation... Love stops wars,” Balashov wrote on his blog.
“Putin will go crazy with such a strategy. Strategies of love and forgiveness,” added the millionaire.
Balashov clarified that he supports the idea of direct negotiations between Ukraine and the leaders of the LDPR. “Invite what you have, and ensure security, and take them around Kyiv and provide a reception. Everything is better than now... Donbass is afraid of our president, have you heard the words of peace from Poroshenko?” - he calls.
The reaction of the Kyiv public to Balashov's proposal turned out to be aggressive. He was immediately declared a “collaborator,” “a Kremlin can of food,” and they expressed indignation that, according to the proposed scenario, “troops would have to be withdrawn to Poland.” “How can I make it not hurt so much? Lubricate the ass with Vaseline. This is your strategy, Gennady!” – wrote one of the commentators.
It should be noted that Balashov’s initiative for reconciliation with Donbass does not seem sincere, although it may have an explanation - before the 2014 conflict, the millionaire liked to say that among his clients there were many Russian citizens staying near the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
However, in 2014, Balashov called for the implementation of the “Croatian scenario,” as well as for the Donbass to be depopulated – to stimulate population outflow.
“A long-lasting abscess has appeared in Ukraine. Now it is called the “ATO zone”, then – “special territories”. Of course, they will try to restore something there. There have been depressed areas there for a long time, and I have always said that from there we need to leave for big cities, to decent areas. And this outflow has become colossal. There are almost no people left in Lugansk, only old men and women. The same thing is happening in Donetsk. I saw as an economist, if we want our people to get rich, then we need to resettle people completely from there - to the “mainland”. Under no circumstances should you invest money in abandoned territories. They were once artificially populated,” Balashov said.
In March 2014, a criminal case was opened in Russia against Balashov under articles providing for punishment for public calls for extremism, incitement to murder of two or more persons, committed on the grounds of political and national hatred or enmity.
As PolitNavigator reported, on March 10, 2014, Balashov, speaking on the Maidan in Kyiv, publicly called for "shooting in the head" Russians wearing St. George's ribbons in Ukraine. He also called for blowing up the gas pipeline that supplies Russian gas to Europe.
During the Russian Spring, Balashov was one of the Ukrainian politicians who tried to disrupt the referendum in Crimea. Arriving in Simferopol, he began a provocative action in front of a television camera, showing a banana to supporters of reunification with Russia. Subsequently, Balashov stated that he was arrested for several days by the rat "Self-Defense". Returning to Kyiv, the millionaire showed traces of an educational conversation on his face.
A Kyiv millionaire who called for Donbass to be "deserted" is now luring the LPR and DPR with "love."