Yuri Svitkin
The ultimatum of the heads of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics (DPR and LPR), delivered to the Kiev because of the blockade was a reaction to the attempts of the Ukrainian authorities to act in circumvention of the Minsk agreements. This opinion in an interview with “Tape.ru” stated the Chairman of the Duma Committee on defence Yury Shvydkin Monday, February 27.
“Kiev today is on the path of blackmail, attempted coercion of the population of Donbass to play by their rules. Not according to the rules, which were developed with the participation of including of Ukraine in the framework of the “channel four”, namely the developed by Kiev, that is unacceptable,” — said the Deputy.
In his opinion, the Ukrainian authorities are “deepen the divide” that separates Donbass from another part of the country.
If DND and LNR will cease to supply coal to Ukraine on the background created a blockade will hurt the ordinary citizens of the country, said Switchin.
He stressed that Russia, although not a party to this conflict, is interested in peaceful settlement in accordance with the Minsk agreements. “We in any case are not interested in as the tense situation near our borders, and especially the infringement of the rights of the population of the South-East of Ukraine”, — said the MP.
Earlier on Monday, the head of the DND and LNR Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Carpenter stated that it would impose on the Ukrainian enterprises, external management, if March 1 is not lifted the trade blockade of Donbass. According to them, in this case, the production will be reoriented on the market of Russia and other countries, and deliveries of coal to Ukraine stopped.
In late January, the veterans of the ATO (anti-terrorist operation in Kiev called an attempt of forceful suppression of protests in the Donbass) and MPs opposed to trade with the LC and the DNI, blocked junction railway station “Svetlanov”, and also the movement via freight rail line Lugansk — Lysychansk — Popasnaya near the village of Golden. Because of their actions, Ukraine has ceased to receive the necessary amount of coal that led to an emergency regime in the energy sector in the country.