The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine spoke about the "formula" of the country's President Vladimir Zelensky to resolve the conflict in the Donbass. The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Vadim Priestayko, in the Freedom of Speech program on ICTV, explained that the head of state intends to follow “people's expectations”.

“The conditional“ Zelensky formula ”means that we will take all the steps we can take, responding to the expectations of our people first and foremost,” Pristayko said.

According to him, “Zelensky’s formula” provides, among other things, for the return of all detained citizens of Ukraine and the restoration of the bridge in the Village of Lugansk as part of attempts to “reach out to the people who were on the other side”.

“We will try to return all our boys and girls - this is one part. We will try to reach mentally, with messages, symbols, to our people, which have remained on the other side, ”the Foreign Minister added.

Pristayko added that Zelensky’s office “could try” to change the rules for re-registration to receive an “unfortunate pension” by increasing the intervals between re-registrations from 60 days to a year.

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine also noted that the “Zelensky formula” implies the completion of the conflict in the Donbass within “six months to a year”. If during this period it is not possible to achieve this goal, then “some new radical measures” will be used.

  • A woman near a house destroyed by shelling by Ukrainian security forces in the village of Zaitsevo, Donetsk region, 2019
  • © Sergey Averin / RIA News

Not forgetting the Minsk agreements

Anton Morozov, a member of the State Duma’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, believes that any initiative aimed at improving the living conditions of people in southeastern Ukraine is "laudable." According to him, Russia has repeatedly pointed out the difficult humanitarian situation in the Donbass and provided all possible assistance to alleviate the situation of local residents. At the same time, Morozov noted that improving the humanitarian situation can only be considered a “half measure”, since in order to end the conflict Kiev needs to implement the Minsk agreements.

“Obviously, this (improvement of the humanitarian situation. - RT ) is a half measure. Since it is necessary to move in line with the Minsk agreements and implement the action plan that was agreed by the parties. Since only this will allow final settlement of the conflict in the Donbass, ”RT Morozov explained.

Recall that in June 2019, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Miroslav Lajcak, stated that the humanitarian situation in the Donbass is not improving. Representatives of the unrecognized republics of the DPR and LPR periodically report a violation of the silence regime by the Kiev side.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine in September reported that between May 16 and August 15, eight civilians were killed, another 60 were injured, including nine children.

“Zelensky will not go for radical measures”

The head of the Ukrainian analytical center, economist Alexander Okhrimenko, expressed the opinion that it is not worth hoping for the effectiveness of the “Zelensky formula”.

“For five years, the DPR and LPR have already built their model of economy and power. They cannot be part of Ukraine. Zelensky understands this, but he will never tell about it in public ... The only thing we can hope for is that at least there will be no active phase of hostilities, ”Okhrimenko said in an interview with RT.

According to the expert, in this situation Zelensky is quite likely to arrange an exchange of prisoners, organize a point-based withdrawal of troops, will not aggravate hostilities, but he will do it slowly enough, dragging out time. At the same time, “radical changes in the implementation of the Minsk agreements” should not be expected.

According to Okhrimenko, although Priestayko said that the “Zelensky formula” implies a transition to certain “radical measures”, in reality the Ukrainian leadership will not dare to take such a step.

“No, Zelensky will not go for radical measures unequivocally. It is necessary to clarify. There are oligarchs surrounded by President Zelensky, and they don’t need a war. Poroshenko needed a war, because he was surrounded by Yatsenyuk and Turchinov. At the moment, the goals are slightly different, ”the expert emphasized.

According to him, the oligarchs are interested in the return of their property, which is now located in the territory not controlled by Kiev. And as soon as they return this property, the shelling will stop, Okhrimenko is sure.

“Let's just say that people have become hostages of the oligarchs. The oligarchs are constantly sharing property, this is their favorite pastime, and people suffer because of this. Now the war is not profitable for the oligarchs, they do not need it, ”he concluded.