Media: the plan of the separatist republics to create a new state of Malorossia was not coordinated with the Kremlin
The idea of Alexander Zakharchenko, the head of the DPR (Donetsk Peoplle’s Republic) to create a federal state Malorossiya had been the initiative of his environment. It was completely unexpected by the Kremlin, RBC news agency reports with reference to two sources close to the presidential administration.
For Vladislav Surkov, the assistant of the Russian President, who is responsible for Ukraine, Zakharchenko’s initiative came as a surprise, the sources of the agency state.
“The initiative absolutely did not come from Surkov,” one of the interlocutors stated. The idea was allegedly initiated in the DPR administration. “The Kremlin was not aware of this. This is a personal initiative of Zakharchenko and his close associates,” another interlocutor told RBC.
Alexei Chesnakov, the expert close to Vladislav Surkov told TASS news agency that a project for the creation of Malorossiya was put forward by a number of writers and bloggers close to the leadership of the DPR, and that many in the leadership of the Donetsk Republic consider it frivolous.
“The project is more literary than political. The Malorossiya initiative has no relation to real politics,” the expert said. “It made a big splash but everyone will forget the idea of Malorossiya in a month, including its own authors,” the expert concluded.
As Fontanka news website previously wrote, the proclamation of the Malorossiya state surprised the authorities of the neighboring Luhansk People's Republic. Vladimir Degtyarenko, the LPR’s second-in-command and chairman of the People's Council said on July 18 that he had no idea about this project at all.
He denied the participation of official representatives of the LPR in the meeting in Donetsk, where Alexander Zakharchenko, the head of the Donetsk People's Republic announced the creation of Malorossiya.
According to Zakharchenko, the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic will become a part of the new state. Alexander Timofeev, the Vice-Premier of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Minister of Income and Fees said that the neutral status and a course to the restoration of links with Russia will be enshrined in the constitution of the new state.