A military option in resolving the conflict in Donbas has no prospects, says Oleksandr Kikhtenko, the head of Donetsk Regional State Administration.
“There is no military solution to the conflict in Donbas. Only diplomatic mechanisms are needed,” Kikhtenko told a press conference in Mariupol on Dec. 2, according the regional administration’s spokesperson.
The official said he is certain that a Ukrainian army offensive would “untie the hands” of Russian leaders who will take advantage of it to start an open military invasion.
At the same time, he said he is certain that very soon people living in the areas not controlled by the Ukrainian government will see for themselves that the living standards in Ukraine are much higher than in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
He expressed his certainty that Russia will not be subsidizing Donbas, and in particular, its coal industry.
