Ukraine rebels U-turn on non-recognition of Russian rule over Crimea

Separatists recall draft proposals on constitution saying 'Ukrainian propaganda' was twisting their meaning

Representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Denis Pushilin (R) and Vladislav Deynego (L) answer journalists questions after talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict in Minsk last week Photo: Sergei Gapon/AFP

Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have backpedalled on legal proposals which they issued that did not recognise Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula.

Earlier, rebel representatives proposed changes to Ukraine’s constitution as part of the Minsk peace process, which foresees that separatist-controlled parts of the Donbas region will acquire a degree of autonomy, or “special status”.

A ceasefire and arrangements to regulate the conflict were signed in Belarus in February, but fulfillment of the deal has stalled as sporadic fighting continues between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian government forces.

While the rebels’ draft corrections recommended new power arrangements in Donbas without breaking away from Ukraine, they left intact an assertion in the constitution that Crimea is an integral part of the Ukrainian state.

That risked provoking anger in Moscow, which provides the separatists with military support despite stopping short of recognising their independence from Kiev.

Vladislav Deynego, a rebel representative, said that Crimea had not been removed from the list of Ukrainian territories in the proposals because the Minsk process concerned the conflict zone in the east of the country, and not the peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in March last year.

“Suggesting to remove or leave Crimea in this article [of the constitution] is absolutely not in our competency, as this theme is not in any way connected to Donbas and the fulfillment of the series of measures [Minsk accords],” he said, in comments carried by news agencies.

However, within hours, Mr Deynego and Denis Pushilin, another rebel negotiator in the Minsk “contact group”, issued a new statement saying they were recalling the proposals.

“The DNR and LNR of course consider Crimea is a part of Russia,” they said, referring to the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics”. “Moreover, our republics would ideally like to become part of the Russian Federation.”

The rebel representatives said the draft changes – sent to the contact group – had mentioned Crimea as part of Ukraine as a “technical-legal” formality rather than a reflection of sentiment among the separatists.

However, the proposals were being withdrawn “in order to avoid further speculation, as Ukrainian propaganda is trying to blow up these insignificant formalities into some kind of political event”, they added.

The U-turn came after the initial statement appeared to have caused surprise in Crimea.

“I’m sure our colleagues didn’t mean anything by it, they just made a mistake, a slip of the pen,” said Sergei Aksenov, the leader of the republic, adding: “There’s no reason for us to get offended, we’re all working towards one goal.”

In an interview with an Italian newspaper last week, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, said the fact that the rebel territories were willing to remain inside Ukraine was “a sound precondition for the start of substantial negotiations".

Grigory Karasin, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, repeated that view on Wednesday, saying the new proposals “opened the possibility for a real search for compromise, if Kiev really wants that”.

Some rebels in eastern Ukraine admit they are disappointed that Mr Putin decided not to absorb separatist-controlled areas of Donbas into Russia, as he did Crimea.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, said last week that he was ready to hold a nationwide referendum on the status of Donbas within the country if constitutional adjustments were required.

More than 6,400 people have died in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

By Tom Parfitt