The issue is not so much with Russia - the issue is with the locals in Donbas, as Russia has already agreed on a path we would follow if Kiev does it's part. Ofc that path was unacceptable to Poroshenko's regime, which relied on the war for justifying it's actions.
If you deny their agency (that they themselves desired to rebel over legitimate cause), if you de-humanise them (by calling them drunks and drug addicts), punish civilians materially by denying pensions etc (and I am not even mentioning dubious behaviour by various non state actors like the infamous rape mansion) they are going to resent you.
And that resentment is not going to go away easily or quickly even if there are established pathways ie the Minsk set up.
__________________
Grumpy as always.
|