Donetsk and Lugansk regions, collectively known as Donbass, are located in eastern Ukraine, near the Russian border. This area has both Kiev-controlled areas and separatist-controlled areas. The main local industries are coal mining and steel production.
population composition
There are 3.6 million people living in Donetsk and Lugansk, most of whom speak Russian, which is the result of Russian workers migrating here after World War II. According to the Associated Press, in recent years, Moscow has issued more than 720,000 Russian passports to about one-fifth of the local population.
the minsk agreement
The core of the 20 14 Minsk Agreement is to achieve a ceasefire, withdraw troops and reduce armaments in eastern Ukraine, initiate constitutional reforms to give the two States special status and ensure the rights and interests of Russians. Generally speaking, this is an agreement that is conducive to easing domestic contradictions and peace in Ukraine. However, after the signing of the agreement, the Wulongmian Donbass area is still in a low-intensity conflict. Putin previously believed that Ukraine had not fulfilled all the key provisions of the Minsk Agreement, and Ukraine was essentially undermining the Minsk Agreement.
Territorial division in history
On September 2014 16, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a bill on the special status of the eastern region, granting three years of special autonomy to parts of Donetsk and Luhansk States. The "special status" stipulated in the bill is not aimed at the whole territory of Donetsk and Lugansk. The bill only gives these areas "temporary autonomy" and "these places still belong to Ukrainian territory".
Power confrontation
Since 199 1 independence, Ukraine has been vacillating between pro-Russia and pro-West. First, the domestic political power was dominated by pro-Russian forces for a long time, and then the "color revolution" took place in 20 13 (the "orange revolution" also took place in 2004), and pro-Western factions gained political power.
Local conflict
From the outside world, Ukraine is about to fall to the west in an all-round way, which has caused anxiety in Russia. Russians in Ukraine are dissatisfied with Ukraine's "leaving Russia and entering Europe", Crimea held a referendum to merge into Russia, and two eastern States (Donbass region) declared their independence from Ukraine and established two republics, Donetsk and Lugansk.
Although these two republics have not been recognized by the international community, including Russia, people think that Russia is the supporter behind them. So the conflict in Donbass is essentially a contest between Ukraine and Russia.
Why did Donbass become independent from Ukraine?
Coal in Donbass
Donbass is the abbreviation of Donetsk basin, which is located on the west side of the lower reaches of the Don River and covers an area of about 60,000 square kilometers. It is the largest coal base in Ukraine.
As early as the18th century, Donbass began to discover and mine a large number of coal mines, and became an important economic development area in Europe. It has also developed its own unique history, economy and culture.
During the former Soviet Union, Donbass' total coal output, anthracite and coking coal output always ranked first in the Soviet Union, and it was the industrial center of the whole western Soviet Union, with very developed metallurgy, electric power, chemical industry, machinery manufacturing and military industry. Donbass has always had very close economic and political relations with the Soviet Union.
The History and Humanity of Donbass
Historically, Donbass was a battleground for military strategists. During the civil war in the early Soviet Union, the Soviet Red Army and the White Army fought fiercely here.
Judging from the history of Ukraine, Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, is the cradle of Slavic civilization. Apart from economic relations, Donbass and Russia have deep ties in language, culture and history.
Historically and culturally, Donbass was deeply influenced by Russia. According to statistics, the population of Donbass who believes in the Russian Orthodox Church accounts for more than half of the local population, and Russian speakers also account for the majority of the local population. Although Ukrainians account for more than half of the population, Russians also account for about 40%.
Social unrest and war
20 14 color revolution occurred in Ukraine and the pro-Russian government fell. The situation in Ukraine is turbulent, and civil strife broke out at the intersection of the east and Russia, including the Crimean crisis. Later, Crimea was annexed by Russia, which immediately triggered Western sanctions against Russia.
On the occasion of losing control of Crimea, armed conflict broke out between pro-Russian and anti-Russian forces in Donbass, Ukraine. Pro-Russian forces gained the upper hand and announced the establishment of two independent republics, Donetsk and Lugansk.
geopolitics
Experts pointed out that there are fundamental differences between Russia and the West on the Ukrainian issue. But one of the main controversies centers on the political solution in Donbass.