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Tension Between Russia and Ukraine: Donbas Region
On April 8 2021, Angela Merkel engaged with Russian President Vladimir Putin to retire her troops from the Ukrainian border. The call came after fears of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. On April 1, large Russian armed forces moved close to the Ukrainian borderhttps://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/ukraine-does-not-expect-russian-attack-in-donbas/2197483. The eastern part of the country, the Donbas region, has been hit since 2014 by numerous conflicts mainly due to Russian interference in the region and the wishes of pro-Russian separatists. This area is particularly classified as sensitive by the local authorities.
Russian intentions are unclear, it could be to put pressure to push for negotiation of a new truce. Since mid-2020, a long truce had been observed between the two countries since the ceasefire signed in July. However, the authorities insist on the need to not worry about this large displacement of troops. Or, the troop presence has never been greater since 2014. Ukrainians fear the entry of Russian troops into the pro-Russian separatist zone on the grounds of protecting the citizens of the government. Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, compared the present situation with the Srebrenica massacre (Bosnia, 1995) in order to legitimize the possible Russian intervention. Following the escalation of violence, the United States plans to send warships to the Black Sea in the coming weeks to support Ukraine in the face of the Russian threat. This US initiative also aims to show the US military presence.
CD4peace encourages the parties concerned to dialogue in order to avoid any escalation of violence. It is necessary that the parties concerned find points of agreement and that he clarify the situation in order to avoid any possible misunderstanding.