Russia's War Against Ukraine
Alexander J. Motyl: When Ukraine lost Donetsk
People walk past a portrait of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin on an advertising board, in Donetsk, on Oct. 17, 2015.
If the leader of the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) has anything to say about it, the current cease-fire in eastern Ukraine will never translate into permanent peace. Nor will it lead to the separatist territories’ reintegration into Ukraine. Alexander Zakharchenko's statements before and after the guns went silent on the first of September reveal a continued rejection of Ukraine, a commitment to Donbass independence, a strong determination to acquire more territory, and a radical division of people into friends and enemies. Small wonder that separatist violations of the cease-fire have increased significantly since early November.
