Donetsk, Nov 16 – DAN. DPR People's Council Chairman Vladimir Bidyevka called Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky's statement on opening new checkpoints a "populist step".
Zelensky addressed Donbass residents through his newly-launched video blog using the Russian language saying that Ukraine is "open" for them. He said that Kiev does everything possible to put an end to "this thing that has been happening for the seventh year", that the war will end soon and that no checkpoints whatsoever will be needed.
Bidyevka dismissed the statement as a populist move as "the normal operation of the checkpoints might resume only after the coordination with the Republics and after the epidemic situation in Ukraine stabilizes". "The semblance of the open gates between Donbass and Ukraine is a trap, an invitation to a beheading, in some sense," he said referring to the critical COVID-19 situation in Ukraine.
"Zelensky has once again revealed that he cares about his rating more than about being useful for people. His address is the highest form of cynicism and hypocrisy."
Elenovka checkpoint currently opens twice a week as a humanitarian corridor. Gnutovo, Novotroitskoye, Maryinka remain closed due to the pandemic.
Ukraine announced last week that all the crossing points are open since November 10, though the initiative was unilateral and uncoordinated with the Republics. *ot