Ukraine parliament speaker to sign Donbas reintegration bill

Ukraine’s Parliamentary Head Andriy Parubiy said he
will sign the Donbas reintegration bill on Feb. 6 after a resolution attempting
to cancel the legislation failed to gain enough votes. With their resolution,
the Russian-oriented MPs of the Opposition Bloc were attempting to overturn the
Donbas reintegration bill, echoing the Kremlin position that it violates the
Minsk Accords. The law has also been heavily criticized by the Russian
government. As of this morning, Parubiy had yet to confirm whether he signed
the legislation, which the president is also expected to endorse.

Zenon Zawada: Key U.S.
and EU officials have yet to comment on the legislation. The Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe had recommended that it contain specific
references to the Minsk Accords, a measure opposed by nationalists and war
veterans. To appease them, the final draft doesn’t mention the Minsk Accords.
The legislation’s main accomplishment is that it establishes the legal
foundation for Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, as well as the legal
framework for Ukraine’s military response. Ukrainian activists raised concern
that it enhanced excessively the authority of the president and prosecutor
general, in violation of the Constitution and threatening civil liberties.