On February 24, 2018, Ukraine enacted the Law on the Particulars of State Policy on Ensuring the Sovereignty of Ukraine over Temporarily Occupied Territories in the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions. In the media, it became known as the “Reintegration of Donbass Law.”
The law defines the legal status of areas not controlled by Kyiv in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as “temporarily occupied territories,” and refers to Russia’s actions as “aggression against Ukraine.”
The document establishes a Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to oversee all military and civil-military authorities in the conflict zone. Instead of the former “Anti-Terrorist Operation” (ATO), the law introduces a new framework called the Joint Forces Operation (JFO). It also gives the Ukrainian president the authority to deploy the military domestically without parliamentary approval. All references to the Minsk Agreements were removed from the law during amendments.
RUSSIAN MEDIA
RIA Novosti explains the essence of the law and reactions from different sides: “The law grants the president the right to use the military during peacetime to defend sovereignty. This enables the use of armed forces in the east without declaring war. Moreover, even during the first reading, lawmakers excluded the clause prioritizing the Minsk Agreements for conflict resolution.”
TASS provides a news report on the law’s enactment, and a dossier on the controversial law: “The law defines the legal regime of certain territories in Donetsk and Lugansk not under Kyiv’s control as ‘temporarily occupied,’ and names Russia’s actions as ‘aggression against Ukraine.’”
Vesti.ru quotes the official reaction of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “By signing the law on reintegration, Petro Poroshenko confirmed Ukraine’s intention to resolve the conflict by force, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Moscow expects that Western curators will be able to influence Kyiv.”
RT Russian highlights further Russian reaction: “By signing this law, Petro Poroshenko has essentially buried the Minsk Agreements and empowered the ‘party of war.’ There is no longer talk of direct dialogue with the authorities of the unrecognized republics, de-escalation of the conflict, or peaceful political settlement. Instead, the law creates a legal basis for the violent seizure of territories in Donetsk and Lugansk not controlled by Kyiv, and legalizes the use of the Ukrainian military against civilians.”
Izvestia quotes a Federation Council member on the law’s implications: “The reintegration of Donbass, as described in this law, opens the door to an armed takeover by the Ukrainian military. The army is ready, equipment is in place… If Ukraine is abandoning the Minsk Agreements — and it seems they already have — then the resolution may be extremely difficult, and the consequences for Europe catastrophic.”
Interfax emphasizes Poroshenko’s remarks: “While signing the law, Poroshenko stated that it ‘recognizes the Russian Federation as an aggressor state.’”
Regional news agencies from the DPR and LPR — Donetsk News Agency and Lugansk Information Center — did not report on this topic.
TASS provides a news report on the law’s enactment, and a dossier on the controversial law: “The law defines the legal regime of certain territories in Donetsk and Lugansk not under Kyiv’s control as ‘temporarily occupied,’ and names Russia’s actions as ‘aggression against Ukraine.’”
Vesti.ru quotes the official reaction of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “By signing the law on reintegration, Petro Poroshenko confirmed Ukraine’s intention to resolve the conflict by force, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Moscow expects that Western curators will be able to influence Kyiv.”
RT Russian highlights further Russian reaction: “By signing this law, Petro Poroshenko has essentially buried the Minsk Agreements and empowered the ‘party of war.’ There is no longer talk of direct dialogue with the authorities of the unrecognized republics, de-escalation of the conflict, or peaceful political settlement. Instead, the law creates a legal basis for the violent seizure of territories in Donetsk and Lugansk not controlled by Kyiv, and legalizes the use of the Ukrainian military against civilians.”
Izvestia quotes a Federation Council member on the law’s implications: “The reintegration of Donbass, as described in this law, opens the door to an armed takeover by the Ukrainian military. The army is ready, equipment is in place… If Ukraine is abandoning the Minsk Agreements — and it seems they already have — then the resolution may be extremely difficult, and the consequences for Europe catastrophic.”
Interfax emphasizes Poroshenko’s remarks: “While signing the law, Poroshenko stated that it ‘recognizes the Russian Federation as an aggressor state.’”
Regional news agencies from the DPR and LPR — Donetsk News Agency and Lugansk Information Center — did not report on this topic.
Western Media (Europe and the US)
Neither of the major British outlets — The Guardian and The Telegraph — published any news on this topic.
Major Italian newspapers, including La Repubblica, did not cover this development.
Leading Spanish news outlets also remained silent on the new Ukrainian law.
Major Italian newspapers, including La Repubblica, did not cover this development.
Leading Spanish news outlets also remained silent on the new Ukrainian law.
Ukrainian Media
UNIAN noted reactions from the Russian side: “The Russian Foreign Ministry called the new Ukrainian law a ‘death sentence for the Minsk Agreements.’”
TSN reported comments from Ukraine’s General Staff: "The law on reintegration will help Ukraine return not only the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Lugansk, but also the annexed Crimea.”
TSN reported comments from Ukraine’s General Staff: "The law on reintegration will help Ukraine return not only the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Lugansk, but also the annexed Crimea.”