KIEV (Reuters) – Thousands of people marched through central Kiev on Monday to protest against President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s deal with Moscow to grant special status to a pro-Russian rebel-held region of eastern Ukraine as part of efforts to end a five-year conflict there.
Around 20,000 people, including war veterans, took part in the rally ‘No capitulation’ against what they say are unacceptable concessions by Zelenskiy over the Donbass region.
Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators agreed last month that Kiev would grant the territory controlled by the separatists a special status and hold elections there.
Ukraine also agreed to call back its forces from the current contact line with separatist fighters.
The peace plan was previously rejected by the government. Zelenskiy has said he would “never betray Ukraine” and “any red line will not be crossed”.
But many Ukrainians say these measures are a betrayal by Zelenskiy who took power in April after a landslide election win. The war in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.
“We are for peace, but we want it to be done differently. We also want our boys not to die, but we want our land to remain our land and that there are no enemies on our land,” protester Ludmyla Linnyk said.
“We have little information about this and it suggests that something is being prepared that we don’t like,” said Pavlo Musiyenko, who was at the rally with his wife and child.
The deal also opened the way for a resumption of top-level peace talks to end the conflict, which helped send Russia’s ties with the West to post-Cold War lows in 2014.
Earlier this month Zelenskiy said he would discuss a peace deal for Donbass in four-way talks with Russia, Germany and France.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told Reuters on Monday the leaders could meet in Paris in mid-November if Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine can maintain a ceasefire..
Reporting by Sergiy Karazy, writing by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Grant McCool
(c) Reuters
I hope Zelensky realises this is just the beginning, a small warning. Should he actually capitulate to the terrorist in the Kremlin, his little house of cards will come tumbling down.
“We are for peace, but we want it to be done differently. We also want our boys not to die, but we want our land to remain our land and that there are no enemies on our land,” protester Ludmyla Linnyk said.
Very eloquently put. And who could disagree, apart from occupier scum? So why is so hard for Zel to grasp?
Maybe he thinks “pretty please” might work with Putin. I come across another article from that vile excuse of a journalist and her latest BS. You are familiar with her, Eva Bartlett.
https://www.opednews.com/articles/Question-to-the-West–Why-by-Eva-Bartlett-Nazis_Ukraine-191014-428.html
Another question is, how is it possible for someone to win the presidency and have absolutely no clue of what’s really happening in the occupied territories?
I fear nothing will change while that fiend Bohdan in running Ukraine.
He’s a slippery lawyer who was happy to work for putlerite scum like Azarov, so he can’t be of any use to Ukraine.
Welllllll, the US of A did the same and has Rabid Giulliani running around circumventing normal diplomatic process.
That’s just one foreigner’s opinion, but accepted as always. It’s hard to get accurate news about the USA nowadays, especially in foreign countries.
Yes, she really is utterly vile. No wonder she is paid to shill for putler and asshat. Perfect fit for those Goebbells tribute bands.
Of course, and anyone who throws the truth at her with facts, she takes the honorable step of blocking them.
RT is a great gig for integrity-free scum like her. It pays very well. As Flynn, Farage, Salmond, CorbLenin, G’Allahway, Larry King, Alex Jones etc can confirm. That last foam-flecked bilge rat frequently appears as an ‘expert’.