In mid-June 2015 , Igor Girkin said that the situation in Novorossiya was a " colossal failure " no one knew how to patch up , and that the plan was to negotiate the return of the autonomous regions of Donetsk and Lugansk to Ukraine in return for Ukraine 's '' de facto '' acceptance of the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation , the gradual withdrawal of sanctions , and the return of all other territories to their previous condition . According to Girkin , should such a " wonderful " plan be realised , Ukraine would become a federal state . " Consequently , in such a manner , a safety catch would be put in place for its entry into NATO . Russia would get leverage over Kiev in the form of the autonomous regions , and everything would settle down . " On 9 June 2016 , an anonymous Russian businessman averred that the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 forfeited any chance to create the confederation
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Novorossiya (confederation)