EU assumes that Russia is aiming to acquire a part of Donbas

European Union thinks that Russia is trying to acquire a part of Easter Ukraine gradually, and considers various ways to support Kyiv.

This information is reflected in the document issued this week by European Union for its state members.

The document states, that those steps which were done by the Kremlin such as the organization of illegal elections and issuing passports to local people, in fact, are directed to the integration of uncontrolled territories of Ukraine into Russia.

According to the announcement, the external policy department of the European Union will prepare the report concerning this matter.

The document issued by the EU outlines different variants which the EU can apply to raise the Ukraine resistance in front of Russia aggression towards Ukraine. Among them:

increased support in the fight with “hybrid threats, actions against cyber issues and disinformation included
help in Ukrainian vaccination program against COVID -19, “especially for sensitive groups to ensure the country stability in the long term medical and socio-economic crisis”
increased energy security in order to decrease dependence from Russia on this matter
increased measures concerning the decline of so-called Russian passports issued to Crimea inhabitants and inhabitants of some Donbas regions
considering the question of Ukraine permission to take part in some EU projects in the area of security

According to the document, further sanctions against Russian Federation will depend on “further serious deterioration concerning sovereignty, independence and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine”.

EU Ambassadors of the economic policy and security committee have shared and exchanged various opinions during the discussions of the document.

One group supported in full the terms and content of the variants, however, another group shred the concern about insufficient attention to reforms that Ukraine has to implement independently.

On May 12 Ludmila Denisova responsible for Human rights in Verhovns rada stressed that Russia has sped up issuing passports to Ukrainians at the uncontrolled territories.

Prepared by Liza Tuka for EMPR