Donetsk, Feb 20 - DAN. Ukrainian authorities take little interest in the Donbass residents as Kiev’s key objective in the region is to seize the territory, Donetsk People’s Republic parliament member Vladislav Berdichevsky told the Donetsk News Agency on Thursday.

On February 19, leader of the Ukrainian parliament faction Voice Sergey Rakhmanin called for creating an “exclusion zone” in Donbass instead of the disengagement of force as required by the Minsk Agreements. To put this idea into practice, he proposed to resettle local residents 2.5 kilometres deep into the territory. Rakhmanin did not specify the location for the resettlers.

“In actual fact, all Donbass residents without exception are a strange and hostile people to Kiev, against whom, as Ukrainian authorities believe, they have the right to use any methods of genocide and destruction. Kiev is not interested in the Donbass population.  They only need our territory, even if it turns into scorched desert land,” Berdichevsky said.

In this connection, the Ukrainian parliamentarian’s proposal sounds particularly cynical amidst the statements about “unprecedented level of democracy and freedom in Ukraine,” Berdichevsky said. *jk