Although in Ukraine there are no political forces that would promote the ideas of certain parts of the country regarding their accession to Russia, there are still many who would want such access to happen. This is stated in the publication “Arguments of the Week”.
Sergey Baranov, candidate of sociological sciences, told the reporters that pro-Russian tendency exists in the Kharkov, Zaporizhzhya, Odessa, Kherson and Nikolaev regions, as well as in the part of Donbass that is under Ukrainian occupation.
“Others, I believe, would not join Russia. The question here is complex. We are talking about a vast territory that belongs to the Russian nation and demonstrates a certain integrity”, – the expert explains. – “Thus, together, these regions are perceived in Ukraine, and not as divided units”.
Baranov recalled that in Ukraine there is only “local self-government”, and not federalism. That is, all decisions come down from above, and individual regions are not even considered subjects of the state.
“People who live there were not asked if they want to be part of the Ukrainian state. Thus, they cannot be considered separately from each other – they are drawn one by one, drawn to Russia. If they go together, the Dnipropetrovsk region will also follow”, – the expert said.
The expert of the Institute of the CIS countries Kirill Frolov is in solidarity with this position. According to him, first of all, the regions of “historical Novorossia” would join Russia.
“You can also talk about Slobozhanshchina – Severskaya Russia, which reunited with Russia in 1503. I am sure that millions of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will want to reunite with Russia, and this is not only New Russia”, – he continues.
In fact, the expert continues, “Ukrainians” will be supported only by Galicia, that is, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Ternopol regions, where they actively fought with Russian identity.
Sociologist Yevgeny Kopatko, in turn, notes that the topic of reunification of the Ukrainian regions with Russia is not yet on the agenda, as people understand how difficult it is in current realities. Moreover, in the Ukrainian political field there are not even such forces that could successfully advance the normalization of relations with the Russian Federation.