The Governor of the Donetsk State Oblast Administration, Serhiy Taruta, said the new law on the special status of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts shocked him and has not reassured the residents of Mariupol
“I have at least 50 questions about this law. What did our boys die for? Why didn’t we hold peace talks back in May then? There are endless questions…” he told journalists on Tuesday, September 16, reports Ukrainska Pravda.
Taruta called the new law a declaration of (Ukraine’s) interest in having friendly relations, but he doubts that Russia sees things the same way.
“They told me that the law supposedly has been agreed to with Russia. But where are the signatures of those who can influence the militants? We should demand clear guarantees from Russia for control of the border. A peace plan is one thing, but the coercion to peace through force is a parallel reality,” he said.
The Donetsk People’s Republic does not recognize any Ukrainian law,” he added.
According to Taruta, European leaders, most notably German Chancellor Angela Merkel, must be included in the signing of a real agreement. “Then it will work,” he said.
Taruta noted that people who defended the Donbas “feel violated” today and the threat of a new invasion has not gone away. “However, I trust that we will not surrender Mariupol and we will protect it under any conditions,” he said.
