Paul Robinson, Professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs of University of Ottawa and author of numerous books and articles on Russia, examined Russia's role in the war in Donbas. Contrary to the narrative depicting the Donbas uprising as instigated by Russia, Robinson sees it as a mostly local initiative. The rebel armed forces are not centrally controlled or vertically organized, as one would expect if a single will had created them. Rather, they are horizontally organized, with a whole bunch of different militias that answer only to their immediate commanders. This reflects the way in which they were created – in a largely spontaneous fashion at a local level. The role of Russians in the rebellion is not insubstantial, Robinson said, but he also noted that 90 per cent of the rebel troops are Ukrainian citizens.

Robinson says this is not a war in which Ukrainian and Russian armies are fighting each other. It is a civil conflict in which Ukrainians are fighting Ukrainians. Russian military supplies have mainly taken the form of items which are easily concealed.

The incursion of Russian troops into Ukraine in August, proof of which emerged in late August, was not intended to destroy the Ukrainian Army or even to seize territory, but rather to inflict a sufficiently large defeat on the Ukrainians to make them realize that they could not achieve a decisive military victory. That would force them to come to a negotiating table. Russia has repeatedly said that its objective is not to annex Donbass or to create an independent state there, but rather to have Donbass remain within Ukraine, albeit with greater autonomy.

The strategy has not succeeded, said Robinson. While Russia has prevented Ukraine from defeating the rebellion, it has not been able to convince Kiev to negotiate directly with the rebels or to show any indication of willingness to make major concessions. Thus, Moscow is left with something it didn't want – a pair of independent republics in Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk) which lack proper states and which face massive economic and humanitarian problems. Neither Ukraine nor the West is going to help re-establish a functioning state and economy in Donbass, and so provide law and order, jobs, pensions, and security. Only one country has the will and the ability to give the people of Donbas what they need. That country is Russia.

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 Profesor ? Paul Robinson (neplést s Paul Robsonem, ten je po smrti a v SSSR byl asi častěji než pan Robinson). Pro ty, kteří nerozuměli textu:

Pan profesor papouškuje názory Moskvy a tedy Putina a Lavrova. Jeho názor se dočteme v poslední větě: " Pouze jedniná země má vůli a schopnost poskytnout lidem Donbasu to, co potřebují. Tou zemí je RUSKO."

Aby bylo jasno pro všechny, kteří neumí anglicky.