To the question of a Greek journalist about who the Minister considers herself to be - Russian or Ukrainian, Natalia Yuryevna answered:
“Donbass has always been Russian. A lot on this topic was said by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in particular, that the Ukrainian SSR was a specially created state.
Another thing is that until 2014, we in Donbass did not feel any problems with the issue of nationality - everyone lived in peace, tranquility, got along well with each other, because Donbass is a multinational region.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic noted that in 2014, when Ukrainianization was forcibly imposed to the region, and all Russians and Russian-speakers were oppressed on a national basis, its inhabitants unambiguously declared that Donbass is Russian.