(From L) Russian ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov, Prime minister of Ukraine's self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Alexander Zakharchenko, Ukraine's self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic leader Andrei Purgin and member of the self-proclaimed "Lugansk People's Republic" Igor Plotnitsky attend talks in Minsk on September 5, 2014. (AFP Photo / Vasily Maksimov)

Minsk Ceasefire Protocol: Ukraine To Be Decentralized, Special Status For Lugansk, Donetsk -- RT

The OSCE has revealed the 12-point roadmap behind the September 5 truce signed in Minsk. It says that Ukraine must adopt a new law, allowing for a special status for Lugansk and Donetsk regions, and hold early elections there.

The document, titled ‘Protocol on the results of consultations of the Trilateral Contact Group’ and signed in Minsk on September 5, outlines what needs to be done for the ceasefire to stay in place.

“To decentralize power, including through the adoption by Ukraine of law 'on provisional procedure for local government in parts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions (law on special status),'” states one of the provisions in the document.

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My Comment: When I compare this ceasefire protocol to what the separatist movement was demanding before the civil war broke out .... short of giving eastern Ukraine independence .... the rebel movement got essentially everything that they wanted. Special status/autonomy, elections, amnesty, economic aid, etc. .... the Ukrainian government has essentially caved-in on all the key points (except independence). In short .... if the political will had existed in Kiev to make the compromises that they made this week in March - April .... this civil war would never have happened.

What makes me especially mad .... and regular readers of this blog know this .... before the crisis erupted into civil war I was pushing for the adoption of these same provisions .... a form of federation modeled along something like Canada's federal system and/or Switzerland's canton form of government. But no one listened .... or scoffed at what I and many others were advocating. Thousands killed, thousands more wounded, a million refugees, billions of dollars of destruction, Europe - Russian relations destroyed, a new arms race buildup .... all of this could have been avoided. My only satisfaction was what I heard from a friend of mine who is a deputy in the Ukrainian government .... he said .... "we should have listened to people like you". Sighhh .... I take no comfort in being told I was right.