It might be easier to reintegrate Crimea into Ukraine than Donbas - expert

The fact of war in Donbas, due to which the majority of the pro-Ukrainian population left the area, will complicate the reintegration of the de-occupied region into Ukraine.

That’s according to the chief of the Institute of Demography and Social Research, Ella Libanova, who spoke on the air of Ukrinform: Evening Stream.

"I am convinced that Crimea and Donbas are different. It is much easier for us to manage Crimea: if the Russian military is removed from there, a high proportion of pro-Ukrainian people will remain there. Because when Crimea was annexed, there was no war there, and many people simply did not leave the area, despite their feelings. Another peculiarity of Crimea is that there are Crimean Tatars who are pro-Ukrainian," she said.

Libanova noted that the situation of Donbas is fundamentally different. In particular, "blood was spilled there" and "formally there were no Russian troops there." At the same time, due to hostilities, the vast majority of pro-Ukrainian people left. According to the expert, Ukraine should prepare for the fact that the de-occupation of Donbas will cause opposition from those who have lived under Russian rule since 2014. This, in turn, will lead to the risk of a pro-Russian government emerging in local elections.

"I don't understand how we can organize local or non-local elections there. I am most concerned about local elections. Will we get a pro-Russian government there? As Europeans of the 21st century, we cannot, as in the Sudetenland, put the Germans on a train – and let them go on their own. So there is no specific recipe, at least that I’m aware of," argued Libanova.

The Russian Federation launched an invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Then the aggressor managed to seize Crimea, as well as part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including the regional centers.

On February 24, 2022, Russia unleashed a new stage of its war against the Ukrainian state – a full-scale onslaught. Immediately after that, the international community rallied around military, financial, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.