14 October 2014
Russian President Vladimir Putin is shutting down his military escapade in Donbas, Advisor to the President of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko wrote on his Facebook page on Oct. 13. He cited two reasons: serious Russian losses in the fighting and colossal economic losses combined with falling oil prices. “The thunder of war is quieting and the project for a violent conquest of Ukraine is being shut down,” he said. “Still ahead is a cold war, which we will also win with the help of Euro reforms. And then afterwards, the reintegration of Donbas and Crimea. Everything is still ahead.”
Ukrainian forces deflected the latest terrorist attack on the Donetsk airport on Oct. 13, reported the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation. In its defense, Ukrainian forces destroyed a tank, an armored carrier and 12 fighters. On Oct. 12, terrorists attempted three unsuccessful sieges of the airport, reported on Oct. 13 Andriy Lysenko, the spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council. Fighting that day resulted in one dead soldiers and was limited to five locations in Donbas. The Russian Armed Force removed 2,000 soldiers from near the Ukrainian border since Oct. 1, reported on Oct. 13 Dmytro Tymchuk, a military analyst at the Info Resist website.
Zenon Zawada: Indeed all signs point to the threat of a military invasion vanishing, at least in the short term. Yet the cold war, as mentioned by Lutsenko, is in full swing, consisting of trade barriers, ongoing attempts to undermine the Association Agreement, and sponsorship of political parties and individuals in Ukrainian politics who will undermine attempts at Euro-integration. The Russian strategy of dividing and conquering Ukraine will continue.
Yet the threats to Ukrainian statehood are just as serious from domestic sources, if not more so. Poroshenko has demonstrated little interest in lustration with his own party’s candidates for parliament and his appointments to government. Prosecutors are failing to file criminal charges against criminals and reforms are utterly stalled, with corruption reportedly thriving, particularly in the military. Lutsenko is demonstrating hubris in placing his hopes on “Euro reforms” against the backdrop of the current lack of political will.