(FP) th a shaky cease-fire between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels appearing to hold, one of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s most immediate challenges may come from nationalist parties within his own government, and not from his erstwhile opponents in Moscow.
In the coming months, Ukraine’s parliament is expected to vote on legislation to transfer power away from Kiev — a key component of the Minsk II cease-fire agreement brokered by Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia in February. Under the terms of the accord, Kiev is required to grant more autonomy to eastern Ukraine, many of whose residents seek closer ties to Moscow, while Russia is required to withdraw its military hardware and volunteer fighters. […]
“Special status for occupied areas was imposed on Ukraine in Minsk and looks like a reward for Putin. Many Ukrainians see it as appeasement of Putin from the West,” said Olexiy Haran, a professor of comparative politics at Ukraine’s Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
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