Page 50 - mag bne_November2017_20171102

50 Opinion bne November 2017
KRUK REPORT:
Is Ukraine changing its Donbas policies?
Kateryna Kruk in Kyiv
We all know by now that Ukrainian politicians have a tendency to overdramatise. Often instead of productive discussion and attempts to negotiate an acceptable compromise, they cry "it's treason, the end of the world," block the tribune, start fighting or bring out the smoke grenades.
Drama staged by Ukrainian MPs averted attention from the essence of the recently considered Donbas laws and made a professional and quality discussion impossible. Which is really sad, because the Ukrainian parliament had before it probably the most decisive law on Donbas ever and it's aimed at some- thing a bit bigger than just making Russia angry.
To remind you, on October 6 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considered two laws on Donbas. The first one was about prolonging the special status of Donbas as required under the Minsk agreements, the second one is shortly called the "Don- bas reintegration law”.
The law on the special status of Donbas is well known in Ukraine as a controversial law. The first version was passed
in September 2014 as an aftermath to the signing of the Minsk agreement. Little has been done since then in terms
of creating a lasting ceasefire and providing conditions for the peaceful settlement of the war. Many called it a "dead law"
www.bne.eu
due to the lack of the real progress in implementing the Minsk agreement.
Nevertheless, its extension appeared to be an uneasy task for the Ukrainian parliament. Criticism of the Minsk agreement is one of the very few things in Ukraine on which there is a
“The law on the special status of Donbas is well known in Ukraine as a controversial law”
popular consensus. Requirements for special status - such
as amnesty for those who fought for the separatist Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LNR) or served in their institutions, the creation of a local militia, organisation of elections, full financial support from the Ukrai- nian budget to the regions - are popularly called "giving in to Russia” in Ukraine. Prolongation of the highly criticised law took place in a dramatic atmosphere with fights, a blocking of the tribune by MPs and smoke grenades involved.
In a desperate attempt to convince MPs to vote for the law,