Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskyy has suggested that the war in Donbas can be finished in two weeks if Russia "shoves off".
He said this in an interview with the Russian RBC, commenting on his earlier remarks about the "civil conflict" in Donbas.
"I still call [this] a civil conflict. But this is our internal affair and it has escalated to a hot form only thanks to the Russian Federation. It is one of the main sponsors and the source of this civil conflict. Had it not been for Russia and had it gone away, we would finish all these issues peacefully to the satisfaction of all parties in two weeks at most," Kolomoyskyy said.
He also expressed confidence that the reintegration of Donbas after this will happen automatically.
"You need to shove off and everything will reintegrate," he added.
In his opinion, a peaceful settlement should be carried out exclusively according to the Minsk agreements, but they need to be slightly changed.
"Ukraine is a single indivisible unitary state. If federalization begins, a parade of sovereignties will begin tomorrow. There is a law on special status, it was agreed upon by the Minsk agreements and it is renewed every year. We need to remove a constitutional amendment, replace it with a five-year transitional period to the special status of Donbas, hold elections in this territories under the OSCE supervision. Let Russia also sit and watch but not intervene. After they elected all those they want, in 30 days [they should] pack their stuff and hit the road home," Kolomoyskyy said.
"The Minsk agreements are the only document in accordance with which we should be moving. But 4.5 years have passed and an update is necessary. The conflict has been going on for five years. Naturally, there are elements of the blockade and restrictions and people are suffering... Everyone is tired of this. But on both sides there are those who are used to it, moreover, there is business there. And coal from Donbas goes first to Russia and then to us in Ukraine. And comrade [fugitive oligarch Serhiy] Kurchenko smelts half a million tonnes of steel a month and sells it under your certificates," he told the Russian news agency.