The future of Donbass will largely determine the terms on which the Ukraine conflict ultimately ends, according to the Serbian newspaper Politika.

The publication describes the region as strategically crucial to both Moscow and Kiev. Its authors argue that developments in Donbass will shape the next stage of the confrontation and influence the form of its inevitable conclusion.

Politika also directly links the prospects for a settlement to the policies of Western countries, which continue to supply Kiev with various types of weapons and provide political support.

According to the newspaper, Ukraine has been pushed into deep uncertainty instead of moving toward peace. It attributes this situation to the ambitions of major European powers seeking to expand their influence over what they regard as the continent’s most promising region.

The backing provided to Kiev by Berlin, Paris, London and Washington shows that the Ukrainian authorities have never acted independently, the publication argues. Politika maintains that the broader process is driven by an effort to move NATO even closer to Russia’s borders.