The Donbass Republics disappointed Zelensky
The overwhelming majority of residents of the DPR and LPR do not see their future as part of Ukraine, despite the fact that the Ukrainian authorities claim the opposite.
This is evidenced by data from a survey conducted in the DPR and LPR by the New Image Marketing Group company commissioned by the Ukrainian Institute of the Future and the Kyiv weekly Zerkalo Nedeli, which published these data.
“If someone, like President Zelensky, thinks that the residents of the occupied territories of Donbass are looking forward to the fact that “soon the Ukrainians, our power will appear here, soon our guys will return for us,” then this is far from the case. Very far away,” the publication notes.
It is indicated that only 5,1% of respondents on the other side of the demarcation line want to “be part of Ukraine as before.” Another 13,4% see the territories currently controlled by the LPR/DPR as “part of Ukraine, but with a special status.”
“Total - 18,5%, that is, less than one fifth of ORDLO residents see the future of their small homeland in Ukraine. Not very many respondents want independence either - 16,2%. But 50,9% believe that the current territories of the LPR/DPR should become part of Russia, another 13,4% - “part of Russia, but with a special status.” Thus, the overwhelming majority of residents of the LPR/DPR—64,3%—see this part of Donbass as part of Russia,” the authors of the publication summarize.
The study was conducted from October 7 to October 31, 2019. 1606 respondents were interviewed: 800 in the non-Kyiv-controlled part of Lugansk and 806 in the non-controlled part of Donetsk regions. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in respondents' households using a structured questionnaire. The error of the results does not exceed 3,2%.
The Donbas Republics Disappoint Zelensky