Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in an exclusive interview from a secret location in Ukraine for TV N1 spoke about Vladimir Putin, his fight for life after an assassination attempt, the Ukrainian struggle and the suffering of civilians and cities, as well as the West's response to Russian aggression and the threat of nuclear weapons.
Yushchenko says that "the whole world has risen against Putin", and speaking about his experience with the Russian president, he said that he "doesn't recognize him now".
"The person who is performing today at the Luzhniki Stadium, appearing on Russian television and again explaining why he attacked Ukraine, I don't really know that man. Such a man is weak for me, devoid of intelligence, reason, even less responsible. In other words, he is brought all these problems to Russia, he put these problems in one basket and they make it impossible for Russia to exist in the form in which it exists now", said Yushchenko.
"Today we are waging war again with our cruel occupier, with our cruel neighbor, with Russia. That Russia brought the army and without much mercy of arrows. There are many questions about how this war can end. I claim that the war will end when we expel the last Russian soldier from the territory of Ukraine," Yushchenko told N1.
He adds that no one could believe that Putin would attack Ukraine.
"A man with full consciousness at the end of February could hardly believe that Putin is so irresponsible and that he can attack the three thousand kilometer line of Ukraine. I saw few experts who claimed that they thought so, and that is why it was obvious to us that Putin must open a war on the temporarily occupied territories. In the second phase, Putin can lead in the administrative areas of those provinces, but few with common sense could have thought that he would open a war from the Belarusian front, block the Black Sea and that Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv would become the victims of aggression. Common sense could not understand that," said Yushchenko.
When asked how long Ukraine can withstand Russian aggression, Yushchenko answered with a counter question - how long can Europe withstand it?
"The whole world is working against Russia today"
"It is a test for any nation, but today Ukraine is unique, and in its unity it fights with the enemy, that is what stops it the most. Obviously, today we have such international solidarity, which did not exist either 10 or 20 years ago. It would be correct to interpret that today the whole world is working against Russia, because this is the ideal of fascism that appeared in the 21st century, Yushchenko said.
"It is important that today we understand and support each other and that we have solidarity in various areas. Almost four million refugees left Ukraine and all these people are welcomed with open hearts, so humanely by the whole of Europe and the whole world. It is a very good lesson for all of us," said Yushchenko.
During his mandate, he met with Putin several times and commented on the allegations about the "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine."
"Today we are fighting the 25th war with Russia. In the last century alone, we declared independence six times. We lost five times, and we had only one reason - the Russian occupation. It's like putting ourselves at the mercy of a mindless Putin. It is obvious that no one will accept it. When we talk about denazification, it is obvious that Putin is a problem for the whole world. And the Russian people are just as sick as Putin, because if a large number of Russians vote to go to war against Europe, that's a big problem. I understand that there are a handful of loyal, reasonable people, but we have to say that living in the 21st century next to such people is a test for all of us," said Yushchenko.
With Putin, as he said, there were not so simple times.
"I met with Putin many times and we had not so easy times, when I had to fly together with other presidents to Georgia, to defend Georgia. We lived through the gas blockade of Georgia, we had different phases of relations with Putin, but I would honestly say that the person who is performing today at the Luzhniki Stadium, appearing on Russian television and again explaining why he attacked Ukraine, I don't really know that man. Such a man is weak for me, devoid of intelligence, reason, even less of responsibility. In other words, he brought "All these problems for Russia, he put these problems in one basket and they prevent the existence of Russia in the form in which it exists now," said Yushchenko.
"I know who poisoned me"
Yushchenko also spoke to N1 about the assassination attempt and the poisoning he experienced.
"That country where the leader is the KGB, a country that works in a regime of international terror, starting with the violinist and dozens of other politicians who were poisoned and killed, all this is becoming normal. I know very well who did it and I am sure that they will come the time when, through fair justice, the whole world will find out about it and that crime will be added to the list of crimes made by that Russian government and state. And today we are talking about the most valuable thing in the era of the 2000s, in the east of Europe. Putin realized that "Maidan is the most terrible word in the military vocabulary, because it is a definition that means death to Putin and his regime, and without a doubt, it will lead Russia to an era of great changes," Yushchenko said.
And when asked if he is worried about Putin's nuclear threat, he says:
"Of course, when we are talking and dealing with an irresponsible person, who has no boundaries, of course, one can expect a lot of problems from him that a common-sense person cannot even imagine, but I think that the current policy, starting with the USA, and I will honestly say that I like the leadership that he is showing, because it is important that there is an initiative in the world about how we assess today's security situation, so that they do not allow the metastases of war to spread to the entire organism. Today, military-technical cooperation is very important. Why is there so much help to Ukraine? Because it is a nation that fights against evil, it is one evil with many faces. I like it when the world started to say that the Ukrainian struggle is their struggle and when we talk about what to expect after these summits, I would roughly say that my heart is calm, Ukraine will not be left, we will succeed in defeating that Russian fascism. We will win and it is only hypothetical that that unhealthy mind can give the order to use biological nuclear weapons. I am sure, and I remain sure today, that it is difficult for Putin to find three or four high-ranking officers who would give the key to launching a nuclear missile at Ukraine, because that is completely insane. That's where my optimism comes from," said Yushchenko.
Speaking about the unity of Ukraine, Yushchenko said that in thirty years the country has come an incredible way.
"The whole family is on the battlefield, all the politicians are in one line, on one front, and I think that was surprising for Putin, because he did not think that he would meet 40 million Ukrainians and another 27 million who live outside Ukraine," he said. Yushchenko.
Ukraine, Europe and the world after the war?
Asked how he sees Europe, Ukraine and the world, Yushchenko said that he thinks that Europe is experiencing messages these days and that after the war it should think about security.
"Today we think about nuclear, biological, chemical threats. Ten years ago we didn't think about it, we thought we were humanists and that in 10 years we wouldn't have such people. Obviously now the economic plan is in order, not only how to build relations with Ukraine and how to form an economic space that would be the best for mobilizing European governments. I think the global security policy will require a major revision. It is difficult for us to see how a member of the Security Council - Russia, conducts its own policy and has the right to veto all peace initiatives. We all understand that if there is no review of such a key security institute, then it is approaching the reputation that the League of Nations has had for a century. I am sure that Europe and the world, as soon as we win, will approach it," said Yushchenko.
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