Editor's Note: The following is a statement released by billionaire Rinat Akhmetov's press service on May 21.
First of all, I wish to express my deep gratitude to everyone who took part in the Voice of Donbass action.
I know that many more wanted to join but were intimidated by pistols and machine guns. Cars were smashed… In short, they acted as savages.
But I am deeply certain that you cannot feed people on guns nor can you ever build a strong economy without good jobs and salaries.
And in spite of everything, the voice of Donbass has sounded and will sound stronger!
Many ask what is next. Fight, fight and fight again for your happiness, your present and your future!
I believe that the Donetsk People’s Republic are deceiving the people of Donbass. They are imposters who have taken the entire Donbass hostage and are terrorizing it.
Who are they? What are those people? Where did those “geniuses” come from? What were they yesterday? They have not created a single job.
I have served and will continue to serve the people of Donbass. The people of Donbass are in my heart forever!
Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov is encouraging is 280,000 employees in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts to protest against the Kremlin-backed separatists who want to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.
But that bunch of imposters terrorising Donbass… I believe they will be kicked out of here very soon.
If some of you believe that they are leading us to success, this is a mistake. It is a huge mistake. They are leading to collapse, poverty and hunger. Through their actions they are killing Donbass, not protecting it.
I wanted to tell my fellow countrymen again – I am always straight with you. Only time will show who was right and who was not; who said the truth, and who lied; who made a mistake and was under delusion.
We, the Donbass, and the Donetsk People’s Republic have different roads to go!
