Kyiv is disappointed with Kozak: Moscow is accelerating the integration of Donbass
The resignation of Vladislav Surkov, assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, who oversaw the Ukrainian direction, confirmed by the official decision of Vladimir Putin, does not bode well for Kyiv.
This is the conclusion reached by the Kyiv online newspaper "Strana", reports a correspondent for "PolitNavigator".
“And although Surkov is an odious character for the Ukrainian authorities, it is unlikely that his dismissal is good news for Kyiv. The former presidential adviser was considered a “dove” in the Putin administration, that is, a supporter of political combinations around Donbass, rather than a forceful solution to the problem. To a certain extent, it is Surkov who can be called the architect of the current structure, which is based on the Minsk agreements,” the article says.
It is noted that Moscow, most likely, has already finally become convinced that it will not be possible to implement the Minsk agreements; it plans to use them as a diplomatic argument, “but real policy is moving in a completely different direction.”
“Donbass cannot remain in limbo indefinitely. If the Ukrainian authorities do not want to take it back on compromise terms, then Putin has no choice but to fully integrate the region into the Russian system of coordinates. This, in fact, is what the Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak is doing,” the publication writes.
In addition, the authors point out that it is Kozak who oversees the economic life of the DPR and LPR.
“And it is he who, in essence, integrates this part of Donbass into Russia de facto. And it is possible that the process will be accelerated in the near future. Ukrainian “reverse separatists” – that is, those who advocate the actual abandonment of Crimea and the uncontrolled part of Donbass – may rejoice at this scenario. However, this option carries very big risks for Ukraine, as it creates a constant point of tension. And it is far from a fact that everything will be limited to part of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions,” the publication summarizes.
Interestingly, opinions in Kyiv are divided on replacing Surkov with Kozak. Some hope that Kozak will facilitate the return of the LPR and DPR to Ukraine.
Others fear that Kozak will “divide and rule over Ukraine.”
Kyiv is disappointed with Kozak: Moscow is accelerating the integration of Donbas.