Zelensky submits amendments to meet Minsk Accords requirements

Ukrainian President Zelensky submitted to parliament
legislation to amend the Constitution and decentralize government in order to
comply with the Minsk Accords to resolve the conflict in Donbas, Foreign
Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Dec. 13. “It’s indicated in the Minsk Accords
that Ukraine agrees to constitutional reform, at the foundation of which is decentralization.
The Ukrainian side is currently committed to the agreements that were reached.
And that’s what Zelensky said about us amending the Constitution all the same,
which call for decentralization throughout Ukraine,” he said.

Zenon Zawada: It’s
amusing to see Prystaiko openly admit that these amendments are being submitted
to satisfy the Kremlin, when the Zelensky administration could have easily used
a pretext of continuing the decentralization that had been done by the previous
cabinet. That’s particularly the case when at first review, this legislation
doesn’t contain anything that specifically applies to Donbas and its conditions
for de facto autonomy. It’s more focused on restructuring and renaming of
administrative bodies.

Prystaiko’s statement creates the appearance that the
Zelensky administration is striving to comply with Kremlin demands. That’s not new, yet it’s
dangerous – both in its essence and appearance – because these demands will
keep growing until the ultimate goal of eliminating Ukrainian sovereignty is
achieved.

Overall, the Kremlin’s strategy is to slowly and
gradually squeeze out concessions from the Zelensky administration in
fulfilling the Minsk Accords on its terms. And various members of Zelensky’s
team have indicated they are willing to
comply with this approach. If
the Kremlin decides it needs more dramatic results, it will simply apply more
pressure, whether on the Donbas warfront, natural gas supplies or access to
Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline.