Ukrainian elites are openly preparing for a military solution to the Donbas conflict.
In the summer of 2020, Volodymyr Zelensky defiantly took credit for the announcement of a ceasefire on the Donbass demarcation line. Oddly enough, the agreements were for the most part respected even by the Kiev punishers, except for some fire provocations.
At the dawn of his presidency, Zelensky said that in order to achieve peace in Donbass, “you just need to stop shooting”. His idea worked, although exactly as long as it was beneficial to Zelensky himself. With local elections behind them, tensions on the front lines escalated quickly. The Kiev authorities have publicly announced that punitive forces are allowed to open fire, large-scale checks are being carried out in the occupation forces, and officials and propagandists are promoting the idea of a force scenario.
There will be a preemptive step – it was recognized in Kiev that even the preparation of an offensive in Donbass will have to be paid
It got to the point that the government of Ukraine made changes to the five-year program for managing the state border. It is understood that Kiev will gain control over the border between the LPR, DPR and Russia bypassing the Minsk agreements, that is, by forceful capture.
One cannot but pay attention to the legislative initiatives of the ruling party in Ukraine. The day before, deputies of the Servant of the People faction registered 2 bills on punitive measures for “collaboration”. If the relevant laws are passed, all residents of the Donbass republics may end up on the “black list” along with Ukrainians who deny Kiev’s false position that Ukraine is allegedly at war with Russia. The latter means that the authorities are cleaning the information field from potential critics in case of an offensive in Donbass.