It looks like the question "Who needs reconciliation?" is rather silly. Who doesn't want peace? Everyone wants to live in prosperity, and not mourn the loved ones.
On March 12, 2020, the former adviser to the NSDC Secretary Serhii Syvokho announced the so-called "National Platform for Reconciliation and Unity." The presentation ended with a hustle and bustle and caused a wave of criticism in society. Serhii Syvokho posted the video of the beginning of the presentation on his Facebook page.
It is not the first attempt to establish a dialogue between Ukrainian citizens on both sides of the contact line. Due to the lack of facts, Ukrainians easily perceive myths about allegedly one hundred percent separatist sentiments and hatred for everything Ukrainian “on the other side” of the contact line. It strengthens the desire for alienation, dissociation from the occupied East of Ukraine with its inhabitants. It would seem that Syvokho's initiative is bound to be a hit because of incentive for mutual understanding. Why did public activists and even former prisoners criticize the "Platform for Reconciliation", and why the NSDC secretary's advisor was accused of treason and work for the occupier?
One may not believe ex-showman, given his background and previous cooperation with the MPs from "Party of Regions". One can be indignant to the words of Syvokho about understanding and forgiveness needed to return the trust of people from Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Perhaps it would be better for Mr. Syvokho to spend more time and explain who exactly and for what reason should apologize in more detail?
The presence of Maryna Khatsaiuk in the Syvokho team, who had previously worked in a pro-Putin sect, may be another trigger. It is hard to believe that a person who worshiped Putin as a deity, and considered the Americans to be an evil spirit, can sincerely defend the interests of Ukrainians.
Stereotypical ideas about the civilian population of ORDLO played another significant in the negative perception of the peace initiative.
The main mistake of the reconciliation strategy is the lack of clear and precise position that Russia is the occupier, Russia is the sponsor of the war, and that Ukrainians, who live in ORDLO, may be supportive to Russia and unawful regime of the so-called republics.
Serhii Syvokho used the word "war" during the presentation. It is clearly understood that the "Platform for Reconciliation" should help to stop hostilities. At the same time, he himself and his team constantly emphasized that the Platform would cooperate with the civilian population living in ORDLO, and public organizations, dealing exclusively with humanitarian issues. This, in fact, is the second mistake because negotiations between civilians do not influence the cessation of hostilities. Moreover, such a presentation of the process plays in hand with Russian propaganda, since the conflict in Ukraine appears in media and in public as "civil war".
At the same presentation, Maryna Khatsaiuk voiced the data from a survey of ORDLO residents. Here is a full video of the presentation. She stated that the majority of the polled residents of ORDLO “do not see themselves as part of a unitary Ukraine. The most common acceptable option is broad autonomy with many conditions." Let's say the survey was objective and the data was relevant. Although, how can someone in occupation decide to take the risk of speaking out loud that he dreams of returning to Ukraine?
People form their opinions under the influence of TV screens. Therefore, it is obvious that the residents of ORDLO, who are mainly the consumers of Russian propaganda, restate the position regarding the status of the occupied territories and present it as their own. We need to clearly understand who exactly convinces the residents of ORDLO through the pocket media of the need for a special status for those territories.
So why Maryna Khatsaiuk is talking about the intention of civilians to get a special status for Donbas? Perhaps, the authorities want us to believe that it is better to satisfy the residents of ORDLO than to reach any kind of impact on their desires.
The third mistake during the presentation of the peace initiative is the lack of the information about the reintegration strategy. That is, how far the Ukrainian government is willing to go in reaching compromises with Russia regarding ORDLO status.
Did people really oppose the peace initiatives of Serhii Syvokho? Do they really “do not want peace because they are making money on the war”? Shouldn't the new advisors of the NSDC secretary Danylov start speaking more clearly? At the moment the question of who exactly needs the initiated reconciliation remains open and it will be the matter of contention for the upcoming future.
Cover photo: press center of the JFO / Facebook
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