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Separatists in Ukraine declare creation of new 'state' Malorossiya
July 19 , 2017
2682 days
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- Ukraine rebels announce new 'state' in eastern part under their control.
- According to a statement issued by Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zacherchenko, declared the establishment of a new state by joining "People's Republics" region. Subsequently, a referendum for Malorossiya will be held among its people after a transition period of three years.
- There was no immediate comment from Russia, which has been supporting the rebels.
- Malorossiya, a tsarist-era name means "Little Russia".
- Eastern part of Ukraine has majority of Russian speakers. They were not alienated during the existence of USSR.
- In recent times, they complained about differential treatment of Russian speakers by Ukraine. This issue escalated into an armed rebellion. Around ten thousand people were killed in Ukrainian Civil War.
- Last year, the insurgents took control of Donetsk and Lugansk in the eastern region of Ukraine and declared establishment of Donetsk Republic and Lugansk People Republic.
- They conducted elections and formed the government. But, Ukraine denied to acknowledge the self-declared territories.
- France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia worked out an agreement in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, in 2015 which laid out a road map for ending the conflict between government troops and separatists.
- Ukraine agreed to grant more autonomy in Russian- speaking regions. But the deal failed to materialize, east Ukraine continues to remain under the control of separatists.
- United States and European Union have imposed severe economic sanctions on Russia, accusing it of supporting separatism in eastern Ukraine and providing weapons to the rebellions.
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