Kyiv could resume trade with uncontrolled territories of Donbas

Kyiv could resume trade with territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, not controlled by the government of Ukraine.

This was stated by Heorhiy Tuka, the ex-head of the Luhansk Military and Civil Administration, the newly appointed deputy minister for occupied territories and internally displaced persons, Interfax news agency reports.

“I concede this,” Tuka said in an interview with Hromadske radio, when asked whether the territories of Donbas should be recognized as occupied and whether trade with them should be resumed.

“Tomorrow’s meeting will focus on two issues… One of them relates to your question. There are two opposite points of view. One of them suggests fencing off with barbed wire. It is absolutely destructive. As a result, we will lose people, people will be angry with us… Another outcome is that we will subsidize the production capacities of the aggressor by transferring payments to the occupied territory. The opposite view is that we need to remove all restrictions. Truth, as always, lies in the middle. We are going to look for it tomorrow,” the deputy minister explained.

He also noted that resumption of trade with Donbas territories beyond the government control was part of the strategic plan for de-occupation of these territories.

“I do not want to speak about it now. It is one of the stages of the strategic plan. Yesterday I said it did not exist. Today, I have seen it myself. Before presenting this information to the society, it should be approved at the level of the President and the National Security and Defense Council,” Tuka said.