Ukraine not planning to seize territory in Donbas as Russia did in Chechnya - Poltorak

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said this in an interview with the government's Uriadovy Kurier newspaper, while commenting on the prospects in the military sense, which are opened by the adopted law on the peculiarities of state policy on ensuring Ukraine's state sovereignty over temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. 

The law creates preconditions for the return of the occupied Donbas. "This law makes it possible to effectively keep our positions without giving the enemy any chance to seize new territories. It contributes to preparations for the liberation of Ukrainian lands," the minister said.

He also added: "We are not planning to carry out large-scale offensive operations and seize territory as Russia did in Chechnya, destroying thousands of civilians. Ukraine is a civilized country that will solve in a civilized manner the problem of the return of all territories occupied by the invader."

Poltorak also said: "A political and diplomatic peaceful solution to the situation is the most logical one, in view of the whole complex of causes and consequences that triggered and fuel the conflict in the Ukrainian Donbas. What means are forming this corridor of opportunities? In my opinion, the issue concerns the observance of the Minsk agreements and the persistent reaching of a decision on the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force under conditions acceptable to Ukraine."

"I clearly understand that it takes time to achieve this goal, but we have no alternative but to simultaneously strengthen the Armed Forces, so that they are ready not only for defense, but also for liberation of occupied territories, to which our army has the right and has never lost it," he added. 

According to Poltorak, the UN force in Donbas would only make sense "if it helps disengage illegal armed groups, take control of the 400-kilometer-long section of the Ukrainian-Russian border, and stop the supply of Russian troops and armament in the occupied territory. Then it will possible to talk about full-scale adequate political processes and reintegration of Donetsk and Luhansk."

op