Putin's Pretext?
Statement from William Pomeranz, Acting Director of the Kennan Institute.
The situation in Eastern Ukraine continues to deteriorate. Russia has purportedly welcomed over 50,000 refugees from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics who claim that they are escaping the Ukrainian army (and a humanitarian disaster). Ukraine categorically denies that it is responsible for the escalation of violence in the East. The Russian press further speculates that the total number of potential refugees may go to as high as 700,000.
Meanwhile, Moscow has recently issued Russian passports to over 700,000 residents of Donetsk (i.e, citizenship), and that number is only expected to grow over the coming days and weeks. Other groundless rumors circulating in the Russian press concerns the desire by Ukraine to once again become a nuclear power.
Finally, Putin has again raised the argument that the only way to resolve the crisis is through the Minsk accords, even though the agreement violates Ukraine’s sovereignty and its status as a unitary republic. All of the above seems to indicate that Russia is preparing the groundwork for a major attack on Ukraine.
About the Author
William E. Pomeranz
William Pomeranz, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, is an expert guide to the complexities of political and economic developments in Russia, particularly through the lens of law. He leverages extensive, hands-on experience in international and Russian jurisprudence to address a wide range of legal issues, from the development of Russia’s Constitution to human rights law to foreign investment and sanctions. He is also the author of Law and the Russian State: Russia's Legal Evolution from Peter the Great to Vladimir Putin (Bloomsbury, 2018).
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Kennan Institute
The Kennan Institute is the premier US center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the surrounding region though research and exchange. Read more
