Former Russian spy chief Nikolai Patrushev challenges western perspectives on the standoff between Moscow and Kiev in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta
The last few months have witnessed a coup détat in Ukraine, military operations by the Ukrainian authorities against the people of Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts and rabidly anti-Russian policies on the part of Kiev. Was it possible to predict this turn of events just a year ago?
Nikolai Patrushev: Our experts warned that a worsening of the situation in Ukraine was likely under conditions of political and economic instability, particularly in the case of outside influence. But I have to admit that the possibility of a sudden seizure of power in Kiev, relying on armed units of self-proclaimed Nazis, hadnt then been considered. Its worth remembering that until that coup, Moscow fulfilled all its obligations to Kiev in full.
A whole generation of Ukrainians [have been] brought up to hate Russia and believe in the mythology of European values
Ukraine simply cannot prosper without Russia, whether it likes it or not … The complete severing of these ties would be a painful blow for Russia but it would be a catastrophe for Ukraine
In the Balkans we see particularly clearly how Russia unilaterally surrendered its assets on the world stage without being compensated at all
Washington was clearly alarmed by Russias readiness to take its place among the world powers of the 21st century
Analysis shows that by provoking Russia into retaliatory measures, the Americans are pursuing the very same goals as in the 1980s vis-a-vis the USSR