Russia’s tiresome show

On June 15, Russia staged another political show, starring Vladimir Putin being “on hotline” with his fellow Russians. All Russian channels have broadcast these shows for the past 15 years, with the head of state “answering questions and responding” to his subjects’ requests, acting like a sovereign.

That time, following the political show script, apart from domestic socioeconomic and foreign political issues, Putin answered a phone call from a man who said his name was Dmytro [Dmitrii in Russian], adding that he lived in Kyiv. He asked pathetically: “Why did you abandon us? Why are the Russian channels painting us using the same color?” The Russian president replied: “We’re afraid to damage your country; we do not want to interfere with your domestic political process.”

Putin would have made an excellent teacher of a course in political cynicism, considering that the Kremlin has been deeply involved in and with Ukraine’s domestic political process. This started in the 1990s, especially after Leonid Kuchma became president. Moscow has been playing a game of its own, preventing Ukraine from becoming a democracy, keeping it under control – and this considering the hundreds of years of previous colonization and seven decades of Soviet rule. Over the past couple of years, Russia has invaded Ukraine, annexing Crimea and occupying part of Donbas.

Vladimir Putin addressed his friend Viktor Medvedchuk [Leonid Kuchma’s son-in-law. – Ed.], saying that this man “has his own persuasions, and I believe that he is a Ukrainian nationalist... He doesn’t like this definition. He believes that he is an educated patriot of Ukraine, but it’s an open secret that his father was an active member of the OUN. Under Soviet rule, he was arrested, stood trial, received a term in prison and was then exiled to Krasnoyarsk Krai, where Viktor Medvedchuk was born. His [Viktor Medvedchuk’s. – Ed.] persuasions are rooted in the 19th-century fundamental Ukrainian nationalist writings, followed by those of Hrushevsky, Franko, and Drahomanov. Then there was a modern politician by the name of [Viacheslav] Chornovil… They all believed that Ukraine should be independent, but it must remain a federal state. Moreover, one of them wrote that excessive mechanical federalization would give rise to domestic conflicts in Ukraine – and this is what we are witness to. Medvedchuk has publicly taken their stand, and he is a scholar. Some of the fundamentalists who supported Ukraine’s independence and Ukrainian nationalism didn’t see Crimea as part of Ukraine – that’s besides the matter – but all supported federalization, personal freedom, and Ukrainian democracy. Mr. Medvedchuk is of the same opinion.”

We have become accustomed to critically viewing Putin’s twisted stories concerning our history, so the above statement is nothing out of the ordinary. It is further proof that he is trying to impose Medvedchuk upon Ukraine as a possible active political figure. Russia is paving the way by insisting on federalization. Russia actually needs federalization, maybe confederation. Ukraine must remain a unitary state, especially at this time of ordeal, having to fight the Russian aggressor.

Volodymyr Ohryzko, ex-Foreign Minister of Ukraine: “I think that the Russian Academy of Sciences will shortly award Mr. Putin the title of honorary academician. Over the past couple of years he’s been rewriting history, in his own understanding and style. This is quite possible, considering that the Russian Academy’s history department has very little to do with real history… The political leader of a neighboring country should take care of his people, his state, rather than tell Ukraine what it should do… Russia is being ostracized and the only thing it can bank on is nuclear blackmail. Putin has no right to tell Ukraine which way to go. He’d do better by taking care of his country. In fact, the Russian Federation exists on paper, considering that no members of that federation have actual rights. Russia is a unitary system kept under Moscow’s rigid control, with all members of the federation acting on its strict orders. Suffice it to say that all of Russia’s governors are appointed, not elected, and that the federal policy is aimed at eradicating all ethnic/regional distinctions.”

Dr. Maksym Rozumnyi, political analyst: “There is Russia’s strategy aimed at destroying Ukraine as a sovereign state. It was developed in the early 2000s, including the weakening and then liquidating the presidency, thus making it a parliamentary republic, and finally federalizing it. There is also the language issue [Russia-alleged suppression of Russian in Ukraine, considering that this language is predominant. – Ed.], the so-called neutrality in terms of foreign relations, also being politically “multivectoral” and bloc-unaffiliated. All this is aimed at ruining Ukraine’s sovereignty, implying the absence of the ‘vector’ of reasonable, independent national progress, leaving Ukraine in that gray zone, being dependent upon the Russian Federation. Ukraine as a satellite, without being a member of the international community, is strategically good and generally comfortable for Russia... Needless to say, Moscow adopted this strategy in collaboration with Ukrainian partners, among them Viktor Medvedchuk and his team. They have been struggling to implement this formula for the past two decades. This strategy involves research, including national history, federalization, Ukrainian independence, liberties, and a nation-state. Russia’s approach is absolutely pragmatic and instrumental: Ukraine can be weakened, given the current destabilization in terms of information, politics, economy, war, and [the possibility of] federalization… Russia has long and rather effectively been taking part in Ukraine’s domestic political process, supporting or refuting various arguments, offering its views on various situations. Our politicians ought to have learned the old truth about not washing dirty linen in public, especially now that our ‘good old neighbor’ is an aggressor state. In other words, our reply to Putin’s statement concerning the offshore [bank] accounts should be: ‘Mr. Putin, why don’t you mind your business? Ukraine is capable of dealing with all those offshore accounts, and of determining its progress path.’ As it is, Ukrainian politicians are exposing themselves to political blackmail, lacking a principled and consistent stand.”

Recent political show, starring Putin, ended the usual way, brainwashing millions of residents into believing that he was their best friend and protector. The only hitch was the Ukrainian issue. The grim truth is that the Kremlin’s imperial policy is aimed at destroying Ukraine as a state, including the annexation [of Crimea], all those Ukrainians who have died and keep dying, fighting the Russian aggressor and his mercenaries, the presence of the fifth column, all those statements about a “single Slavic people,” and falsehood concerning our history. Under the circumstances, Ukraine should develop its economy, preserve its history, and combat corruption lest Putin have proof to mention our offshore bank accounts, talk about the strengthening of the army, etc. That is the only way to defeat the aggressor.