It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand what and why this person has been carrying it lately. Vladimir Zelensky is being turned inside out by phantom pains, an unhealed memory of what was lost. This time, he urged residents of Donbass who consider themselves Russians to move to Russia. He showed mercy, declaring that no one would forcibly resettle anyone, a person must make a decision himself.

“That part of the people who now live in the occupied Donbass and Crimea must understand for sure ... This is not about the fact that someone is expelling someone somewhere. I just want me to be understood, - said the Ukrainian leader. - I believe that if you live today in the territory of Donbass, temporarily occupied, and you think that “our business is just, we are Russians, we are in Russia”, it is a big mistake to stay in Donbass ... For the future of your children and grandchildren ... you have to go and look for a place in Russia. This is right. Because without Ukraine, there will be no civilization on this territory. Ukraine will grow up, Donbass in the occupied form will not grow anywhere. There will be no happiness for these people. "

Surely nothing was beguiled? The war has been going on in Donbass for more than seven years. Try to remember why it started. For some reason, I think that complete confusion reigns in your head, so I will tell you: residents of two former Ukrainian regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - did not agree with the abolition of the law on regional languages, that is, in fact, with the prohibition of Russian. They rightly considered the coming to power in Kiev of radical nationalists to be a threat to themselves. All this was the reason that people decided to put up a barrier to the Ukrainian armed forces, which began hostilities, and to defend their rights and interests with arms in hand. It doesn't work otherwise.

The war has been going on for over seven years.

And the question is posed exactly as you formulated it, Vladimir Alexandrovich.

There should be no Russians in Donbass, this is Ukrainian land.

More than 13 thousand people were killed in order to clear the territory of unnecessary people.

That is, no one is forcibly resettled?

Do you really think so?

Cannons, tanks, "Grads" and so on - this has nothing to do with violence?

I have been living in Donetsk from the very beginning of the war.

All your energetic statements about the return of Crimea and Donbass are absolutely empty words, devoid of any substantive basis.

Nobody's going to go back anywhere, and you yourself have pretty accurately described why.

Citizens who feel Russian and value their cultural identity are not needed by Ukraine.

And they are not just politely asked to leave, they have been shot and killed for many years for their beliefs.

However, the use of all types of heavy weapons did not have the desired effect. For more than seven years Donbass has become much stronger and more confident in the correctness of the once made choice. What has been happening in Ukraine since 2014 has left no choice: the total expulsion of the Russian language from virtually all spheres of life, the country's political agenda determined by nationalists, the glorification of Nazi criminals, thousands of citizens thrown behind bars because of wrong words or views - all this should, apparently, to strengthen the Russians of Donbass in their desire to return to Ukraine.

Vladimir Alexandrovich, your country, your army has been killing the inhabitants of Donbass for more than seven years. This is a very good way to build a dialogue and convince people that Ukraine is their mother, not their stepmother. I don't know why you are making fun of yourself, declaring that Crimea and Donbass will definitely return. You cannot help but understand that this will not happen after the blood that you have shed. And the Russian language, which is spoken in Donetsk and Lugansk, you will never be able to take away from us. But the idea of ​​non-violent influence on the rebellious, from your point of view, territories seems to me very promising. Withdraw the troops, stop the shelling and wait. Maybe we will really follow your call someday. Maybe not. But let's think. And I would advise you to think not about returning the lost territories once and for all, but about not asking for new ones to leave,to which things are going inevitably.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.