Ukraine has no strategy to return Donbas, top official says

The Ukrainian government has no strategy to return under its control the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied by Russian forces, said on television on May 2 Heorhiy Tuka, who was appointed vice minister of the occupied territories on April 29. Before the appointment, he served as head of the Luhansk regional administration. He said he told President Poroshenko during an April 30 meeting that a state strategy is lacking and “saw full understanding.” Tuka said he’s been appointed to a strategic group to develop a strategic approach, which will either be based on returning the territory through military force, returning the people based on diplomacy, or a combined approach, which he favors.

Zenon Zawada: Tuka acknowledged publicly what most of the public has already recognized for many months, as pitiful as that may be. It speaks to Poroshenko’s lack of leadership in this critical area for Ukraine’s security, instead adopting the tactic of postponing any decisions by telling all sides in the conflict what they want to hear. Tuka is no military expert, coming from an IT background, and he earned his reputation from his active leadership in the volunteer effort. But having someone who is capable of critical thinking and is genuinely concerned about resolving the conflict is already a step in the right direction.