Alexander J. Motyl: Answering the critics – Donbas disengagement

What should Ukraine do about the occupied Donbas enclave? As readers of this blog know, I have long been arguing for disengagement. Critics of my view generally emphasize some or all of the following three points: First, won't disengagement help promote Vladimir Putin's strategic goal of destroying Ukraine? Second, doesn't Ukraine have a moral obligation to reannex this territory and its citizens? Third, what exactly does disengagement entail and how would it be brought about?? All three are serious questions that deserve serious answers. I'll address the first two questions in this blog and the third in the next one.