Ukraine is the only one in the world that has stooped to petty greed
Oleg Izmailov, journalist, historian, Donetsk
Signs of a real economic blockade are clearly visible in everyday life in Donbass.
Over the past week, the range of goods in Donetsk stores has become significantly poorer. At checkouts in supermarkets there are signs “The terminal is not working. Disconnected by the bank." And this very bank, Oschadbank, whose terminals are now only suitable for taking out impotent anger on them, left the city practically without declaring war on state employees, pensioners - all those who still had the unfortunate pennies on their cards that people were hoping for buy groceries, and at least celebrate the New Year holiday.
However, is it time for the holidays for those thousands of destitute Donetsk residents, Makeyevka, Gorlovtsy, Luhansk residents who now have to stand for days in seven to eight degrees below zero in order to get on the list to receive help from the DPR? People stand often and thickly from early morning to try to get a thousand hryvnia, no more. It is clear that the republic, which has barely created a banking institution, simply does not have enough money to pay social benefits.
By the way, the refusal to pay pensions and benefits to people whom Ukraine considers its citizens (it does, doesn’t it?) is the unconditional know-how of official Kyiv. Let us remember what fierce battles raged on the banks of the Dniester in 1992-94, but Moldova never stopped paying pensions to residents of the PMR - the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic.
She even gives them their passports. But what about - after all, for Chisinau - they are still fellow citizens. And this despite the fact that the PMR has its own currency, and the Pridnestrovians decide issues of the economy, border security and military development themselves, focusing exclusively on the Russian Federation. Let us note that Tiraspol achieved this status due to the fact that the 14th Army of the Russian Armed Forces stood on their territory as peacekeepers for a very long time. The same one commanded by the late General Lebed.
In Chechnya, Russia conducted full-scale military operations, unlike what Ukraine tried to conduct in the Donbass, but the supply of money for pensions and other social needs to Chechen cities and villages was not interrupted for a single month. Because since Russia said that this was its territory and its citizens, then it bore responsibility for them according to all criteria.
Serbia did the same in relation to even the Kosovo region, although in the latter they destroyed Serbian villages and churches, killed Serbs, drove them out of the region at gunpoint.
Ukraine is the only one in the world that has stooped to the point of petty greed, encroaching on the money of the elderly and children of Donetsk and Luhansk residents, and thereby placing itself in the category of states with which no decent government will deal in good faith. However, in Kyiv they understand perfectly well that any continuation of the humanitarian catastrophe in Donbass will be justified in the West. Because there, decency and courage are already elevated to the category of sins. There is only one valor in Europe now - to please Uncle Sam, sorry, Barack!
Ukraine is the only country in the world that has stooped to pettiness.