"No military garrisons": Russian side explains the future security model of Donbas
Ushakov said that in the future, the Donbas region may not have any military garrisons, but the Russian National Guard will be deployed there.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov gave his opinion on Vladimir Zelensky's proposal to hold a referendum on whether to withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbas.
He recalled that after the referendums held in the autumn of 2022, the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye Oblast, and Kherson Oblast were formally incorporated into the territory of the Russian Federation.
Ushakov told "Kommersant" newspaper: "Zelensky has always opposed the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas. Withdrawal is one of the demands that the US has made to him. No matter how the situation develops, this territory will be part of the Russian Federation and will eventually be under Russian administration."
The presidential aide emphasized that the territory will ultimately be fully under Russian control either through negotiations or military means. He said that only after the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces can a ceasefire be achieved. Ushakov added that after the ceasefire, further discussions on the future governance model of the region could take place.
He stressed: "Because in the future, it is entirely possible that no military forces will be directly stationed in Donbas — neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces. However, the Russian National Guard and Russian police will be deployed there, equipped with all the necessary forces to maintain order and ensure public welfare."
On December 11, Zelensky said that he believes it is necessary to hold a referendum to understand the opinions of the Ukrainian people on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas. The leader of the Kiev regime said that the U.S. plan for resolving the conflict is to establish a demilitarized zone after both sides withdraw their troops, but the issue of the region's future governance remains unresolved, and the U.S. is "seeking some suitable solution."
According to the results of the September 2022 referendums, the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye Oblast, and Kherson Oblast were incorporated into the Russian Federation. Among them, the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, and Zaporozhye Oblast were incorporated according to their administrative boundaries, while Kherson Oblast included the territories of two areas in the Nikopol district that had held referendums. Crimea became part of the Russian Federation in 2014 after a referendum.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7583325839077524008/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.