President of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin has announced, according to the Russian news agency Sputnik, that Donetsk may join Russia as a separate entity, keeping the word “republic” in its name, like Tatarstan.

During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Pushilin asked the question of the possibility of the Donetsk People’s Republic joining Russia, or would it remain a “people’s republic” and “how does one contradict the other?”

When asked whether Donetsk would join Russia as a separate entity on the model of Tatarstan, Pushilin answered in the affirmative.

The President of the Donetsk People’s Republic did not like the option with the name “oblast”, saying: “The word Donetsk region sounds ugly. It takes us back to the past, to the Ukrainian past.”

It should be noted that from 15 to 18 June St. Petersburg will host the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.