Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dream of uniting the self-declared separatist republics in eastern Ukraine under the banner of Novorossiya, or New Russia, was put on hold indefinitely last week as Moscow moves to abide by the terms of February’s ceasefire deal. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian state-owned newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta that “we say that we want [these republics] to become part of Ukraine.” His comments echo those of Alexander Kofman, the defence minister of the separatist-run Donetsk People’s Republic, who told Vechernyaya Makeyevka newspaper: “The Novorossia project is frozen until a new political elite emerges in …read more
Source: Business Insider
