Axios writes today that both American and Russian sources claim that the USA and Russia are secretly discussing plans to end the war in Ukraine. It is of course worrying that the discussions are not taking place openly and even worse that they are happening without Ukraine’s involvement, and also leaving Europe out.
There is no threat against the USA and they have not convincingly shown their stance towards Ukraine. Trump spent several years tarnishing both Ukraine and Zelenskyy before he was even elected and has not done anything for Ukraine so far. He forced them to agree to a deal on natural resources in hopes of increasing willingness to help.
Not much has happened since then. But the sanctions against Lukoil and Rosneft are certainly a blow to Russia.
Now that it emerges that the USA and Russia are thus trying to end the war in Ukraine without any other involvement, my guess is that these sanctions are not intended to weaken Russia’s economy and thereby force them to withdraw from Ukraine, but rather solely to give the USA leverage in these secret discussions.
Considering that Europe has not significantly increased its support to compensate for the lack of contribution from the USA, there is a great risk that Ukraine may be forced to accept a peace agreement regardless of its form, especially if the USA also takes a tough stance and threatens various measures against Ukraine if they do not agree.
Trump’s approval ratings are slowly but surely declining, and he himself has said that he is frustrated for not receiving more praise for all the wars he claims to have stopped. Moreover, Epstein has once again become highly topical. Trump is probably starting to become desperate for some form of propaganda victory and is likely willing to do anything. Ending the war in Ukraine could be just the feather in the cap that he needs.
Therefore, I do not believe that these secret negotiations from the US side are based on the best interests of Ukraine and Europe.
Despite that, I am afraid that there is a high risk that Ukraine will feel compelled to accept, and that Europe will also give in and agree to a peace agreement regardless of its content.
I certainly hope I am wrong; Ukraine deserves a fair peace where they do not have to make concessions regarding their country’s borders and can demand and receive compensation from Russia for all that has been destroyed, and of course also for all kidnapped children and prisoners of war to be released.
Anything else would be a defeat and proof that we are letting Russia do as they please.
https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/ukraine-peace-plan-trump-russia-witkoff
https://omni.se/uppgifter-usa-och-ryssland-arbetar-pa-ukrainaplan/a/j09PGz
Russian Losses in Ukraine
- 850 KIA
- 1 Tank
- 1 AFV
- 12 Artillery systems
- 1 MLRS
- 293 UAVs
- 56 Vehicles & Fuel tanks
- 1 Special equipment
AFU Reports
- 160 battles
- 71 Air strikes
- 139 KAB / Glide bombs
- 4,145 artillery attacks (131 from MLRS)
- 5,204 suicide drones
SLAVA UKRAINI
Don't forget to donate, Ukraine's cause is ours! Support Ukraine!
Thought-provoking post MXT.
The USA only does what benefits themselves. The EU is a big disappointment and we just shouldn’t talk about NATO. A sleepy toothless organization with equipment in poor condition. I’ve written it before but I’ll do it again: The best thing that happened to NATO in the last 50 years is that Finland and Sweden joined. Additionally, we have a NATO chief who unfortunately does not have my trust.
#fckptn #fcktrmp #krasnov
That’s probably all I need to add!
Is Russia on the verge of losing the war? The question should be asked in any case. If the US and Russia are now rustling under the covers and trying to come up with a peace proposal, one can smell a rat. The US does not want Russia to lose the war, and Putin is naturally aware of the mood in the Kremlin and among all the oligarchs. Possibly the Russian people too. A helping hand to Putin from Trump perhaps. Where Ukraine surely draws the shortest straw.
Yes, exactly what I’m worried about.
Mark Rutte was extremely popular in the Netherlands so I am surprised that he has turned out to be a babbling idiot
Boring news.
I suppose it’s someone with insight who wants to stop this from leaking information. It gives me a little hope, if it’s only unsupportive colleagues leaking because they want to make a buck or feel more important, then of course it’s worse.
“🇺🇦 Zelensky: In Ternopil, nine-story residential buildings were hit, fires broke out. Unfortunately, there is significant destruction of buildings, and people may be under the rubble. As of now, dozens of injured are known and, unfortunately, nine people have died.”
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3m5xua5o3ck2u
“A massive attack was on our Kharkiv since the evening. Dozens of people in the city were injured, including children. The energy sector, transport, and civil infrastructure were damaged. Our energy sector was attacked in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Three people were injured, two of them children.”
“In Lviv region, critical infrastructure and energy were hit. A person was injured in the Donetsk region. Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Dnipro regions were under attack. Every attack shows that the pressure on Russia is insufficient. Effective sanctions and aid to Ukraine can change this.”
“Here is the “missile map” of the overnight/morning attack on Ukraine. Drones are in yellow, others are missiles of different types.”
https://bsky.app/profile/twmcltd.bsky.social/post/3m5xtsvmbvs2f
If one has such good control over where they are flying, it should be possible to intercept them on the way. What is needed to have a mobile LV? Would the A-10 work? Or regular Cessnas with a mounted machine gun a la Snoopy?
Perhaps anti-drone drones, released from a transport plane?
Of course, easier said than done, but the flight paths in the picture indicate that one should be able to pick off slow-moving targets at least?
If you could have a whole bunch of A-10s in the air, they should be able to do a good job and surely also Cessnas. Of course, it’s important to have enough pilots.
They use (or have at least used) F-15s but then the robot costs are probably a bit too high for it to be sustainable in the long run.
The Shaheds usually run different routes from time to time and also change direction, it’s probably really difficult to cover all possibilities. They also have jet-powered variants now that fly higher and faster.
I think there should be a bunch of retired A-10 pilots in the USA who should be interested. Of course, it’s just a matter of getting the planes released. They have been on the verge of being decommissioned for a long time but it never seems to happen.
“Here are the figures behind the Russia attack. There were 7 missile hits and 34 drone strikes in 14 places. Air defence stopped: 442 of 476 UAVs = 93% and for the missiles: 7/7 Kalibr 34/40 Kh-101 0/1 Ballistic Ukraine confirms main strikes were in Lviv, Ternopil & Kharkiv”
https://bsky.app/profile/twmcltd.bsky.social/post/3m5xu6ssbts2f
The latest 24-hour report from AFU shows an increasing attack activity in Pokrovsk, Oleksandrivskij, and Huliaypillia. In the latter, 19 Russian attacks is a record (previously 25 on May 1).
N Slobozhansky-Kursk 2↘️
S Slobozhansky 6
Kupyansk 7↗️
Lyman 7↘️
Slovyansk 8↘️
Kramatorsk 2
Kostjantynivka 19💥
Pokrovsk 50💥💥💥↗️
Oleksandrivskij 18💥↗️
Huliaypillia 19💥↗️
Orikhivsk 2
Prydniprovskij/Dnipro 2
“❗️🇺🇦Ukraine has received all four promised Skynex air defense systems from 🇩🇪Germany as part of military assistance.”
https://bsky.app/profile/militarynewsua.bsky.social/post/3m5xvyho7b22g
One thing that no one, least of all the EU, seems to have thought about, is that if there is a “peace/ceasefire” it will mean a migration of gigantic proportions as Ukrainians try to flee from Russian annexation.
Probably much worse than previous refugee waves.
Europe is probably not prepared for this… Or maybe the Ukrainians will head to… Africa…!! Because the question is if they want to go to the EU, which didn’t help them…
It seems like Europe has messed up in its own (bleep) bed…
And, I could be wrong.
If it ends in sorrow with peace on worthless terms, the risk is enormous that there will be emigration next time Russia attempts to conquer the rest of Ukraine.
There probably won’t be many who choose to stay to fight if Europe betrays them this time (we also betrayed them in 2014 regarding Crimea but it wasn’t on the same level as now).
1 million soldiers become the EU’s new mafia – we have written for a long time.
Europe is sleeping through this
If it continues according to what I believe is Trump/Witkoff’s plan, Russia will be richly rewarded for its attack, and may soon set its sights on the next target.
At least it seems like the UK has started to lose patience with the Russians’ spy ship, one can hope that they have a reason to sink it.
There is an assumption that none of the four ATACMS missiles aimed at Voronezh were shot down.
Near the impact site, four smoke trails were recorded in the sky. These are exactly the trails produced by an ATACMS missile in cluster munition configuration at the moment of successful warhead deployment over the target.
Later, Russian media published photos of the remains of these missiles – bodies without warheads, without characteristic damage from air defense systems. This appearance is typical for ATACMS after normal use, when the cluster warhead opens in the air and the empty engine casing simply falls to the ground.
All this indicates that the missiles were not shot down but functioned as intended, releasing submunitions over the target.
Regarding the news from AFU:
“⚡️The Armed Forces of Ukraine have successfully used ATACMS tactical missile systems to deliver precision strikes on military targets in Russia. This is a landmark event that underscores Ukraine’s unwavering commitment to its sovereignty.
Despite the constant challenges of Russian attacks, Ukrainians remain steadfast, demonstrating their determination to defend their homeland persistently and systematically.
The use of long-range weapons, such as ATACMS, will continue.
Glory to Ukraine!🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦”
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A6cD7LngD/?mibextid=wwXIfr
I don’t know if it’s any relief, but Hegseth also has a planned meeting with Hamas.
They will probably come to an agreement on their views on the role of women in society and how the Jews control the world.
Gone are the days when the USA had the principle of “We do not negotiate with terrorists”
Now it seems like they only negotiate with terrorists and dictators.
💯
It was also some news that the USA backed out in the near future from a planned meeting with Ukraine regarding a possible peace agreement/negotiation. The conclusion then becomes that 🇺🇸 is totally uninterested in Ukraine’s positions and wishes. Not that it surprises me particularly.
They do what they think is easiest and causes the least problems for them, give Russia what they want and the war will end…. They believe those who have no more capacity than to think one step ahead..
Can’t the Chinese bastards invade the USA, so they have something real to contemplate..?
It was indeed a variation of course! When it comes to Trump, he is probably grateful for anything that takes the focus away from the Epstein story…..
Maybe they can realize it’s not so fun to be invaded… Sometimes you have to knock in the understanding…
Haha, yes, that would be lively
Then all parties get exactly what they want, that the big boys settle things among themselves. Nice that they do it for real and not through representatives.
Have managed to make it to Madrid.
you are right MXT – that’s the direction we are heading.
We all feel it really and personally I am most disappointed in Europe.
The USA has never done what was good for Ukraine for the reason you mention – they are not threatened.
we are threatened but in WW2 everyone chose to give up in two months for the chance to have five years of Gestapo flaying.
The will to fight in Europe is low.
Hmm…
Was that what was meant by “never again war in Europe”.. ie roll over… ??
May the ghosts of all those sacrificed during WW2 haunt our rulers!!
The willingness not to defend oneself is very high 💥💥
Lowering the Baltic Sea fleet would be a clear statement 💥💥
Hmm… a little difficult to do without oil spills… otherwise I’m in.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency gets to choose the ammunition ✊✊
May have to take what is returned when they are empty. Not as costly for Russia but will lead to fewer tankers and will probably make someone realize that the risk of transporting Russian oil is too high.
I have been nagging for a while about what the goal is and stated what I believe.
If Europe agrees to a ceasefire, that mistake will cost us dearly.
UA has also explained it to us.
The fact that the USA is negotiating with Russia behind the back of the rest of the world does not bode well. They go for the lowest hanging fruit, without considering the Ukrainian or European people.
How is it easiest to achieve peace between two countries, where a large country has attacked a smaller country, and one is a bully type lacking all normal empathy for the smaller one? Well, one says that the attacker gets to keep what he has conquered, and the attacked one must choose between losing all support and continuing to fight alone or giving the attacker what he has conquered. This causes the least trouble for Trump, he doesn’t need to send anything to Ukraine, he can open up for business with Russia and maintain his friendship with Putin. The people of Ukraine are Europe’s problem, if they want help, they have to pay for it.
It may be that the USA now thinks that Russia is more open to discussions when they have finally put some pressure on Russia, but I don’t think the USA will impose any heavier demands on Russia.
Just the fact that it’s Witkoff leading the negotiations is ominous, he is even more naive and pro-Russia than Trump.
Russia will not back down on its demands, maybe just tweak them a bit so Trump and Witkoff think it’s something new.
Soon Trump will boast about the world’s best deal, and now there will be peace, and those who don’t think it’s good will be punished with sanctions and tariffs.
Canada visit, by King CG and Minister for Enterprise Ebba Busch Thor. On the table lies the production of the JAS 39 Gripen in Canada, creating jobs in Canada. At the same time, the USA threatens Canada with “measures” if they proceed with the setup. It might be good to finalize that deal so the USA can consider what role they want to play in the military-industrial sector. It could have an impact on the American arms industry. Something that Mr. President Trump has messed up due to his completely twisted security perspectives.
👍👍👍
“The war must end. There is no alternative to peace. Russia must understand that there will be no reward for war and killing.” — Zelensky.
I completely agree, and surely everyone who is not completely clueless, but I am afraid that the American regime only agrees with the first two sentences.
“The unusual aspect is not only about the relatively deep strike but more about the fact that the weapon used is American Atacms. Ukraine announces that there will be more attacks of this kind, but there is a lot that is unknown about the country’s arsenal – nevertheless, it could be an important development according to Hans Liwång, professor in defense systems at the Swedish Defense University.”
Ukraine has shelled Russia with American Atacms missiles for the first time in almost a year. From the Ukrainian side, it is reported to have been a success and that it will continue – however, it is extremely unclear how many they have left.
– “It will still be more difficult for Russia to protect itself,” says Hans Liwång from the Swedish Defense University.
https://www.dn.se/varlden/expert-atacms-kan-tvinga-ryssland-att-omplanera/
Drone washed ashore in Latvia.
Now leaks are starting to come in that the US discussions with Russia are just as hellish as feared:
BREAKING: USA agrees to Russia’s demands
… The army will be halved… how long after that before the Russian hell is in Kiev. And how long before they are at the Baltic Sea through the Baltics.
The USA, with the world’s strongest military power, has all the opportunities to pressure a Russia that is already on the ropes into a peace that would benefit Ukraine. Instead, they give Putin what he wants. If not before, now Putin knows that the USA will not give a damn if a small country in Eastern Europe invokes Article 5. NATO can no longer count on the USA.
Trump and Witkoff are truly stupid if they agree to something like this. Pax Americana is truly over, dismantled by a useful idiot and his intelligence-deprived and fact-resistant followers. How can ordinary Americans go along with this? They over there can’t all be as brainwashed as the leadership, or well, most Republicans probably can be, apparently. Volumes will be written about this first year of Trump’s second term, historians will compare the fall of the USA to the fall of the Roman Empire, psychologists will research collective stupidity, with Trump’s administration as a cautionary example.
Europe, pull yourselves together, now it’s time to unite and take over the void that the USA leaves behind!
👍👍👍
Canada confirms interest in Saab and Gripen
BREAKING:
Ukrainian forces have crossed the Oskil River from the east and liberated the “long island” off the coast of Kupyansk.
This territory is critical, as the Russians had been using it to covertly supply their landing group in the town.
🇺🇦
https://x.com/astraiaintel/status/1990863835960389709?s=46
Nice 😀😀😀
🚨 +21
‘Faceoff’ Ukraine version. Courtesy of Kurt & Co. Hope you ate dinner. 😝
#russianLosses
#UkraineIsWinning
https://bsky.app/profile/babayagafella.bsky.social/post/3m5z5aebqxc
❗️A 🇺🇦Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet using 🇫🇷French AASMHAMMER guided aerial bombs destroyed a 🇷🇺Russian base in the Zaporizhia direction.
https://bsky.app/profile/militarynewsua.bsky.social/post/3m5z54oezg222
Those who have committed acts of corruption, especially during the war in such a socially important area, must be punished accordingly. That is simply a fact. And everyone has reacted correctly now. Whatever happens, we will get through the winter anyway. I am in my place, doing my job. I will do it for as long as necessary. But if you are talking about attempts to put pressure on me, I have been living with this for many years and it will not affect me.
The situation with Pokrovsky and those around him is extremely difficult.
But at the same time, we are somehow holding on. It is impossible in negotiation processes to take and reject, let’s say, one of the key factors.
These are the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate. They are the best of the best. Here, there is a different approach, different training, a different level. What we have done is that we have been able to gain precious time. We have heroic guys, and we cannot take away their victories.
If unity is broken, there will be nothing.
About the enemy’s plans, the battlefield, the international agenda, and most importantly, the future of our country. We are discussing all of this now with the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov. Kyrylo Oleksiyovych, greetings and thank you for this opportunity.
Good morning. We will divide this conversation into a series of important issues for our country and, perhaps, geopolitical issues. But I want to start with the news that is currently on everyone’s lips, and it concerns Ukraine and not only our state. And, in principle, we will start with this topic. This is the issue of Venezuela. The situation there has been escalating recently. Donald Trump has repeatedly mentioned this country in a rather aggressive political tone, I would say. In your opinion, what is happening there and how might it affect the geopolitical arena in the near future?
Thank you for your question. Well, actually, the situation there is very interesting. It will be, it is already developing dynamically, and this trend will continue in the near future. Significant forces of the US Navy have already approached, let’s say, the operational areas from which it is possible to act on the territory of Venezuela, and Marine Corps units have been deployed, that is, technically, everything is ready for the operation. Incidentally, the US Secretary of War has already announced the start of this operation, which means that it is already formally underway. I think that in the near future we will all see what happens to those regimes that do not want to live, let’s say, by civilized rules and use drugs as a tool, oil as a tool, and generally deal with people who are not quite the ones they should be dealing with. Who else do you think could be on this list of countries? That’s an interesting question. Well, you know, recently there was a very, very professional operation, let’s say, which the whole world saw in Iran, when, demonstratively, one might say, precision bombing was carried out directly from the territory of the United States. I have explained this before, and I can repeat it again. It was done as demonstratively as possible. The strikes were carried out from the territory of the United States itself. Not from staging airfields, as everyone thinks. No, the bombers flew directly from the United States, demonstrating their power and greatness, showing that they could reach any point on the globe. What signal do you think this demonstration sent to the Russian Federation?
Well, it was sobering. And after that, the Russian Federation began to make a series of attempts to show its power. This refers to the demonstration launches of nuclear weapons carriers. Most of them were unsuccessful, but some were successful. Well, but this is still not the same level, let’s say, as was demonstrated in Iran. Uh-huh. The demonstration by the Russian Federation. What signal did it send to the Western world? It signaled that the enemy has all the power and must be taken seriously. I would also like to talk about one of the latest statements by the American president.
He said that the hostilities in Ukraine must end as soon as possible, calling the war a terrible, bloody massacre and the biggest war since World War II. And when we move on to the topic of the Russian-Ukrainian war, how would you describe the stage we are at now?
Well, all I can say is that I hope the President of the United States is right and that all this can be resolved somehow in the very near future.
It is the bloodiest, and let’s say, not the bloodiest in terms of civilian casualties, but the largest since World War II, meaning in the world. But it is definitely the largest and bloodiest war in terms of the use of conventional weapons. That is, everything has been used here. The only thing that has not been used is aircraft carriers, but the only aircraft carrier that the Russian Federation has is not combat-ready far from our, let’s say, area of operations. Everything else has been used, except, I repeat, weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, while everyone is talking about these peacekeeping attempts, methods of pressure on the Russian Federation and, unfortunately, on Ukraine as well on the battlefield, Russia is still advancing in several directions. How does the situation on the battlefield affect these peacekeeping attempts by third parties? It is impossible to take and reject, let’s say, one of the key factors in the negotiation process. That is, one cannot ignore the real situation on the battlefield, just as one cannot ignore, let’s say, the social situation. It is impossible.
The negotiation process to end hostilities in any country always involves, well, multi-domain negotiations. It’s not just negotiations about the supply of, say, oil. No, it’s much deeper and broader than that. In one of your short interviews, you talked about the book The Invisible Side, The Power, The Invisible Power, excuse me, by diplomat Burns, yes. Well, it literally talks about, well, one aspect of official negotiations, what happens officially, and there are unofficial channels of communication, unofficial conversations, behind-the-scenes discussions, and so on.
And they always have more significance than the official side. Yes. And are such instruments used in the Russian-Ukrainian war? That is, to what extent does the Russian Federation use them and to what extent does Ukraine have such capabilities? Let me put it this way, I will refrain from answering your question directly. I will answer, as they say, in general, that all parties must use whatever leverage they have to achieve their goals. The Russian Federation is traditionally strong in this regard, let’s say. Everyone knows about their systematic work.
in all corners of the world, including the Western world. This is no secret to anyone. So, do such processes exist? Well, they definitely do.
I would also like to move on to questions concerning the front and the Russian-Ukrainian war and talk in more detail about Pokrovsk. GUR fighters also took part in these battles. They are still taking part. One of the operations that was widely reported in the Ukrainian and foreign media was the helicopter landing to create a corridor for other Ukrainian defense forces. And you commanded the operation directly. The unit commander commanded the operation. I was there, helping him as best I could, so to speak. We have heroic guys, and we can’t take away their victories. What were the results of this operation, the details that you can share with us? How would you assess the current situation around Pokrovsk? The situation with Pokrovsk and its surroundings is extremely difficult, but at the same time, we are somehow holding on.
I will answer you again. First, you need to look at the sources, you know, as they say, why that operation was needed at that time in that particular form, because the situation was extremely tense and acute. I want to remind you that all this happened against the backdrop of official statements by the Russian Federation about the capture of the city, when Gerasimov reported to Putin that the city had been taken. And here you have to understand what the situation was at that moment. Nothing else would have worked. What we did was to gain precious time so that the main units of the Armed Forces could calmly, well, as far as possible, approach the city for reinforcement, so to speak. After that, everyone in Russia immediately stopped saying that the city had been taken. They started saying that there was progress, that there was success, that there were many battles, but they moved away from saying that everything had been taken.
Do you see Pokrovsk playing a separate political and propaganda role for the Russians? Of course, it is a key element of their propaganda and a key element in the military domain, which they are currently focusing on and will continue to focus on.
It will be a great victory for them if that happens. And how might it affect Ukraine diplomatically?
Exactly the opposite. Yes. However, let’s hope that the combined political and diplomatic efforts, the work of the military, and above all, the soldiers in the trenches, as they say, will pay off and we will be able to get out of this situation correctly. Could you also share with us the details of how the fighters of the Main Intelligence Directorate carry out such operations, because this is not the first one on the front line. What do I mean by that? When the fighters arrive and carry out a specific operation. Yes, that’s our job. How could it be otherwise? Special forces units of the Main Intelligence Directorate have always been in all the bloodiest and hottest spots, absolutely always, both in 2014 and now.
How much preparation and, I don’t know, patriotism does it require? Probably because these operations, if you look at some of the footage, are very dangerous and the fighters behave very… Well, come on. Yes, these are special forces units. Here, there is a different approach, different training, a different level. It’s a different perspective on all this work. People come here, they are not forced to do it. We select them from those who want to. I want to talk to you a little about the domestic political situation and then return to the topic of the war and the battlefield. We are talking at a time when Ukraine has learned about a major corruption scandal in the energy sector. This may sound very dramatic, but during a full-scale invasion, such scandals are perceived much more painfully, because there are people on the front lines who are giving their lives for their country, obviously not for such schemes and deals. What do you think our state’s next steps should be to ensure that this does not affect our defense capabilities, and how did you react to the information that came out? Look, first of all, there is a fact, it exists, right?
There is a fact that has become public knowledge regarding corruption. And in the energy sector, as you say, one of the most painful areas for our society, because, well, we all see that power outages, well, they exist, at least, right?
How do I view all this? First, the anti-corruption authorities did their job, they exposed it, and they at least stopped this horror. If it is true, I think it is true, as it was shown. That is, they definitely did their job.
Secondly, the president’s position is absolutely correct. He saw all this and made the right decision. The people involved were immediately suspended. And then he helped, as I understand it, to ensure that they were dismissed from their positions for a short period of time. So here too, we can say that, in my opinion, he did his job absolutely correctly. Then the third stage begins. This is the court stage. That is, the court now has the final say. We are a constitutional state, we are a democratic state. No matter how we look at it, it is clear that in times of war, everything looks a little different and does not always seem that way. But that is how it is. Ukraine is a constitutional democratic state. The court must put an end to this issue. And it will definitely do so. My personal position is that those who committed acts of corruption, especially during the war in such a socially important sphere, must be punished accordingly. And there can be no excuses here. They did it knowingly. Therefore, they must be punished. The anti-corruption authorities have done an excellent job. They have once again confirmed their importance and necessity to this state. We can only applaud them.
The president has also done his job. People have been removed from office. Now it is up to the court to put an end to this case.
That is how I see it. As for whether this could somehow affect Ukraine’s defense capabilities in terms of support and assistance from Western allies, there is a risk. And I think we all need to think about this and not give them, as they say, an additional reason to simply make it easier for our enemy to achieve their goal of cutting off our own assistance. Can you elaborate on that?
I told you again, the anti-corruption authorities have done their job.
The next step is to put an end to this story. This is a matter for the court. If we simply exaggerate this issue, it is clear that everyone will take advantage of it. From our direct enemy, who is open, it is clear to everyone, who, by the way, has already started this work. Well, this was predictable, as they say, in such a situation. And through the system of bots and so on, even more negativity is being stirred up. There is a concerted effort in society, let’s say, by Western partners, with what they consider to be a correct explanation that Ukraine cannot be dealt with. It is a corrupt state. Look at what is happening there. And all this is being maximized, as they say. All of this can lead to negative consequences. Therefore, if we want this, we have to pay some abnormal, let’s say, attention to it. What happened, I repeat, is simply a fact. And everyone has reacted correctly now. Let’s just not forget that we are a state governed by the rule of law and also in a state of war. The state is at war. And that means elections are impossible right now. But for some reason, a large number of politicians are paying too much attention to this, especially to the operation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Well, I can’t help but ask you. It’s a hot topic, a painful topic, which is why it’s getting so much attention. Society is hurting. People have no electricity, and now corruption in the energy sector has been exposed. How can people not react to this? It’s a normal reaction. I’ll just say again, going back to the previous question, we must not overreact to this situation and cut off everything we can for ourselves. Regarding the elections, you’ve raised an interesting question. I’ll answer you a little bit from the sidelines, so to speak. I’m a big fan of the TV series, the art film series “Game of Thrones.” I actually consider it one of the greatest and most successful works of art in recent years.
And this situation, in my opinion, is very similar to what we see there. The main plot is the competition between kingdoms, let’s call it that, for supreme power. And in principle, it is shown that this is normal. There are always dirty methods and clean methods. It doesn’t matter now, but it’s always there. But at a certain point, they face a common threat, let’s say, to their very existence and that of the entire united kingdom. When the dead come, the white walkers from the north, by the way, such an allegory, if applied to Ukraine, also seems very similar. And at the moment when there is a common threat, all these games, competitions for power, become completely uninteresting, because the existential question of existence and survival arises. Therefore, during this period of time, everyone more or less unites around the common threat. They threaten and then return to their normal rhythm, continuing these competitions, so to speak.
I think that is the answer to this question. We have the same threat, and until we resolve it, well, all of this is simply not serious, to say the least. I want to quote a part because I really hope that the war will end and there will be democratic elections in a free Ukraine. And I told you, Ukraine is a democratic state governed by the rule of law. And we must remember this. Anyone who forgets this or wants to make others forget it, no, it will not happen.
But everything has its time. And I want to talk about those potential, let’s say, threats. According to Valery Kondratyuk, former deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia will not necessarily put openly pro-Russian politicians in power, but will instead bet on those who will promote the message: “Peace at any price, freezing the war for the sake of the economy, sanctions hurt ordinary people, etc.” I won’t ask you about Medvedchuk yet, but I will ask how we can avoid such a scenario and not fall for these cunning and insidious methods. Well, what do you mean, how can we avoid it? We can’t. It’s all there and it will be there. We just have to remember all this and be smart enough to figure out who is setting what ultimate goal for themselves. Yes. The Russian Federation came to this conclusion at the end of 2023. This is now, as they say, the official vector of their foreign policy towards Ukraine. There is no point in emphasizing that even the slightest association with an openly pro-Russian position will have no effect now or after the war ends in the next five years. That is, we need to work with those who, let’s say, take a moderate position and somehow, well, they explain all this in a very interesting way, to find ways to establish relations with them.
All right. And so, we started this block with the topic of energy. And I want to talk more about energy in winter. Observers and military analysts call this winter the most difficult for Ukraine because It obviously is. The fact that it has not yet begun, but in fact it has begun, as they say, not yet according to the calendar, but in fact it has. Yeah. And everyone around is wondering whether Ukraine will survive this winter. You don’t need to continue with this question. I’ve heard it so many times recently. I’ll answer you now and explain a little more than you probably wanted to hear from me. First, the obvious news, as they say. Whatever happens, we will survive the winter anyway. And everyone understands this. Our enemy understands this perfectly well, and I think we do too. It may be difficult, but again, we will survive it. Let’s talk in this paradigm. Not that everything is lost and so on, but that we will get through this period. Secondly, what I am about to tell you will probably be interesting for you and for those who will be watching this. In the Russian Federation, in-depth studies were conducted before making a strategic decision to launch all these attacks on the energy sector.
And they came to the right conclusion, and it is correct, no matter how we look at it, that the factor of the threat that they will destroy our energy sector before the winter season will have the greatest impact, first, on society in Ukraine and second, on our Western partners, because this is a topic that scares everyone, everyone for different reasons, but fear unites them. However, this factor is clearly limited in time. It is limited to the end of February.
Therefore, they have come to the conclusion that the threat is the destruction of the energy system before winter. This is a factor that strengthens the position of the Russian Federation, including its negotiating position. And since it is limited in time, it is necessary to come up with some proposals before the end of this period.
So we are holding on, we will get through this. Meanwhile, Ukraine is striking back. Well, we are striking back, striking not only at oil refineries and logistics, but also at energy facilities in the frontline territory, such as the fuel and energy complex, right? Basically, symmetrical responses. In your opinion, do strikes, say, on energy facilities, when we talk about the lack of electricity in Belgorod, have any impact on Russia? Look, it does have an impact. I’ll say it again, these are, in principle, symmetrical actions, but unlike the actions of the Russian Federation, which are clearly, let’s say, limited in time, the effect of our actions has no such time limits, because we are hitting, among other things, the export capabilities of the Russian Federation. This is not limited to winter. They understand this very well. The effect is there, especially in the field of, let’s say, oil refining, and more specifically gasoline.
In general, I will tell you something that may be a little unpleasant, but believe me, I have always been very interested in history. I have read a lot, so to speak. So, all times are completely different, and during large-scale wars for their countries at that time, everyone was looking for, well, in slang terms, a wonder weapon. But there is only one factor that unites them all, which consists of two components, so to speak. First, no one found it, no one found it in time. And second, it did not help any of those who were looking for it. There are no magic solutions. There is systematic, methodical work. It always produces results.
And when someone hopes, “A miracle will happen now.” Well, a miracle can happen once, maybe twice, maybe even three times, but it cannot radically change what is happening systematically. Any system will defeat unsystematic actions over time. This is both a threat and a plus.
Returning to our strikes, when we carry them out systematically, we will achieve our goal over a long period of time.
If we just launch everything we have in one day, I don’t know where, and it will look powerful and beautiful, and we will immediately achieve something there. No, that won’t happen when we talk about these strikes. But from the point of view of the Russian Federation’s plans, is their goal to intimidate the West, or is it preparation for some kind of global war?
Well, all together, for the immediate future, yes, the main goal here is to reduce support for the country. They said so directly at their meetings, let’s say, as soon as they started actively doing it. They talked among themselves that the main task was to intimidate society in these countries. We cannot achieve the result we want by acting through politicians, for a number of reasons. So now we will work through society to intimidate them so that they themselves come out with anti-war demonstrations, so to speak, express anti-war positions, and they will automatically push for a de-escalation with the Russian Federation. And the way to do this is to reduce aid to Ukraine and arm ourselves. Let them defend themselves. In principle, this would be normal in this situation. That is their goal. And in principle, everything is clear.
From the enemy’s point of view, I think that the goal has been set correctly.
The ways to achieve it, in their understanding, are also correct. Will they work? Well, that’s a question of time. We’ll see. I also want to talk about the West’s reaction to this, which is completely predictable.
Yes, that’s the reaction. But against this backdrop, we can say that Russia is gradually raising the tension. Well, at least because in 2022 there will be… Yes, that’s understandable, shahids over Poland. Well, if you see that you are pressing, and what you are pressing is bending, you will continue to press. It’s just classic.
Everything is completely predictable. But you see, Kremlin spokesman Peskov recently stated that it is Europe, on the contrary, that is preparing for This is a factor of mutual, let’s say, misunderstanding and mistrust. And then there is the stolen factor, which the Russian Federation also uses for its own purposes. Well, what they do is look at the statistics on defense budget allocations. They have grown rapidly over the last year, right?
That is, they are given reports saying, “Look, defense budgets have grown by 50%, by 70% in some countries, by 40% in others, but these are significant, as they say, surges. Look at what they are buying. They are buying tanks, they are buying missiles, they are starting to open some kind of defense enterprises. All of this is a sharp increase in the defense-industrial potential of the country, of European countries. The conclusion is: they are preparing for something. What are they preparing for? Only for war. And the only enemy on the continent is, as they say, the Russian Federation. Is everything clear? Well, that’s how they perceive it. That’s the first factor. Second, they need to justify their future actions, which they have already planned and prepared. And they are using this. Look, we have no other choice. Damned Europe is preparing to destroy and capture us all. We must strike first. That’s the main thing, that’s the scariest thing to understand from that interview, let’s say, with Mr. Piskov.
Not an interview, it seems to have been just a speech he gave somewhere, which still boils down to the standard rhetoric of the Russian Federation. There is a threat. To prevent the threat from killing us, from destroying us, we must strike first.
Are these the same methods that Russia used in its hybrid plan? The same. We’ve all seen it. And look, well, look, you don’t even have to look at us, look at Gruziv. It’s all the same. Well, what was the reason in 2008? There is no need to come up with something new. Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for them, it has already been worked out and polished to the smallest detail. But when we talk about Georgia and the Russian war in Ukraine since 2014, we are talking about the fact that after such statements, wait. It all started in Ukraine with the same thing. Remember what their reason was in 2014? The threat, well, Maidan and everything else, and the threat that NATO would enter Crimea. All of this is a threat to us.
And then conventional warfare began. Are we at that stage now, in your opinion, when it’s a little later, but they have planned it and are preparing for it? I have no doubt that Russia will be ready for this. I see how they are doing it. They are doing it well, let’s say so directly. Will Europe be ready for this? We’ll see in time.
And I’m also curious what you think about the fact that some experts, politicians, and military personnel there are saying that these conventional, well, perhaps not full-scale invasions, but provocations are possible during the Russian-Ukrainian war, and some say that active hostilities in Ukraine will end first, and then Russia may expand.
I am in the same position and I am basing my opinion on the information I have. How much? Yes, nothing will happen here until it is completed.
How many years do you think Europe has to prepare? Well, according to the plans, until 2030, but they are now reducing the timeframe, shortening it, because they feel strong or because, I don’t know, they are in a hurry? Well, let’s just hypothesize. The war in Ukraine has ended. There are big points of view from Russia, we are now looking at all this, they have great human potential that has gone through the war. It doesn’t matter, it just happened. That is, people with real combat experience. Well, first, they need to be kept somewhere, employed somewhere, and so on, because otherwise it all starts to become an internal problem of internal stability, because it can only lead to a surge in crime and nothing else.
Second, this potential must be preserved somehow and used before they lose it for purely physiological reasons. In two or three years, a person who has gained combat experience, no matter what they do, even if they go on a binge, well, something can still be made of them in five years, but what can be made of them now? Therefore, time is limited.
And if we look back at the last three to four years, the full-scale invasion began in 2022, and the first statements that Russia was preparing certain provocations against European countries, possibly had some kind of expanded plan for Europe, for conquest, conventional warfare appeared during these three years. And from the Ukrainian point of view, well, at least from the public point of view, it seems that Europe was not prepared for this. The defense budget was not increased. Well, this is not only from the Ukrainian point of view, but also from the American point of view. Why did President Trump start demanding an increase to 5%?
You are not ready for anything. America will not defend you, because America is at war, and you are all sitting and watching it all. No, this is not only the Ukrainian position, because no one in Europe was prepared for war on European territory, especially a serious war. Absolutely no one. And in your opinion, why is this a false perception of security? You know, it has always been this way. By the way, this is another unpleasant historical conclusion that I can explain to you.
All the empires that flourished always thought they were the strongest and most powerful. That’s how it seemed. And they all have one thing in common. They all ceased to exist in the face of the threat of barbarian invasions. And the barbarians always won, because life is a bit like a parallel reality. This is the same thing that is happening now with Europe, that has happened. Let’s hope that they don’t come to a direct, as they say, invasion of barbarians. Uh-huh. But if that happened, let’s say, for some reason today, the result would be, well, obvious. In your opinion, what was the turning point when it became clear in Europe, well, we’re talking about political circles, that Russia would still have some kind of plans for them, for their… Well, first, the existence of these plans. Second, the realization of what happened in Ukraine.
This is reality, what is happening. And thirdly, let’s say, the clear position of the United States is that if you don’t want to defend yourselves, we won’t defend you at our expense. And has this position of the United States helped Europeans in some way? I think it is helping now. Well, at least the budgets have actually increased, and some more or less serial production has begun, because, well, you can produce the best tank in the world, but you only make 10 of them a year. Well, okay, it’s the best, but what next, so to speak.
I can’t help but ask you about the doubles. In your opinion, do they still exist? Yes, they do. And, by the way, you mentioned this investigation, this and other investigations. It reached the point of absurdity when official events involving the head of state took place, well, relatively speaking, in Moscow and in the Far East with a difference of half an hour. Well, everyone understands that this is simply physically impossible to do, but no one, as they say, ever stopped it. That’s why doubles are needed, well, to save the leader’s time, yes, so that where it’s dangerous, well, it’s better to take a risk with a double. Uh-huh. There are many reasons.
Recently, at a military parade, journalists managed to overhear and document a conversation between Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who were discussing the possibility of increasing life expectancy with the help of modern technology. Xi Jinping said, “Forecasts show that in this century there is a chance to live to 150,” and said that at 70 years old, you are still a child in this century. And they laughed about it. In your opinion, does this mean that the Russian dictator really wants to be eternal in the president’s clutches? You know, it’s a dream. Well, again, let’s go back to history. Yes, all dictators dreamed of living longer, and in the best case, living forever. And everyone worked on it. Well, again, they all have one thing in common: it didn’t help anyone for various reasons, but it just didn’t help.
But I’ll say it again, it’s impossible. God created us this way, we will die. We all have to remember that. Anyone who wants to live forever, well, it just won’t work. And about this eternal president Putin. You know, earlier, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, there was a belief that if Putin died or was killed, the war would collapse and everything would collapse in Russia and so on. Now the situation seems to be changing. Maybe if you take the war in Ukraine, anything can happen here, I agree with that, but nothing more than that. I’m talking about changes. As for the general position of the Russian Federation, its domestic and foreign policy, nothing will change. They are systematic guys in this regard. They have built everything themselves, and the system is built correctly for their worldview. Therefore, the change of the first person will lead to a certain redistribution of influence and finances, but the general course will not change. Everything is stable. I want to return briefly to the internal situation and domestic policy. Apparently, during the great war, the media repeatedly reported on your possible resignation. And I know that you have already commented on this several times. It’s not even funny anymore, you know, after all this time and so many times.
But despite these rumors, you still remain in one of the most important military positions, it seems to me, for our country, especially during the Russian-Ukrainian war. How do you feel about these rumors now? I’m telling you, it’s not even funny anymore. I just don’t pay attention to it anymore. I’m in my place, I’m doing my job.
I will do it for as long as necessary. One more thing that is often written about in the media and not only in the media. The head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, said at the end of February this year that an assassination attempt was being prepared against you last year on Easter. And this is not the first such report to appear there from officials or the press. And, well, this is actually enormous pressure, as it seems to the average person.
Vasyl Vasylovych is a highly professional head of the security service. And our state, in my opinion at least, owes him a great deal, well, in the best sense of the word. He does unique professional work. He is a fine man. The fact that these are attempts at some kind of, well, elimination, is not really an attempt to exert pressure. It is, um, an attempt to resolve the issue radically. But if you are referring to attempts to pressure me, I have been dealing with this for many years and it does not affect me and has never affected me. In principle, it never has. This is my job. I consciously chose it. This brings us back to the beginning of our interview, why the fighters are doing certain things there, that it is very dangerous, and so on. Everyone made their choice consciously. I did the same thing a long time ago and have never regretted it. I would also like to talk in more detail about the Main Intelligence Directorate and quote Vadym Skibitsky, a representative of the Ukrainian military intelligence service. He talks about the time when you first took up your duties as head of the service. Well, that was five years ago, a little more than that, in 2020. This is about you.
He probably felt that there would be a big war, because he paid special attention to the development of special forces, the so-called active operations units. We have already talked about the Russian-Ukrainian war since 2014, but when you took this position, what exactly indicated that a major war was imminent and that it was necessary to create and build up the combat component of the Main Intelligence Directorate? I’ll tell you even more. When I arrived, I clearly prioritized things, because it is impossible to raise everything at once. I live in this paradigm. You can take on something and build it up, raise it, then when you reach a certain level, you take on the next issue, and so on. That is, you can do things gradually in parallel if you have unlimited resources, but I didn’t have them at the time, and I don’t have them now. So, I set priorities then. Everyone who was involved in this remembers this, including General Ralsky, who should also remember this. Eh, on two aspects, eh, intelligence work and special purpose units. Why this choice? Because, well, in my opinion, this is the most important thing in times of war, one of the most important things in times of war. And this is what can really influence the course of events. I was right in the end. Agent intelligence provides advance information. Not based on some recorded conversation with someone, but purely advance information about plans. Nothing can compare to that.
And special forces units can, let’s say, implement certain ideas that can influence the course of events in general. Once we built that up, we moved on to radio-electronic reconnaissance, and so on. We have greatly improved our cyber capabilities now.
That is, I am moving forward gradually, step by step. How did you manage to take these steps? I won’t even start with that. The 20th year was a time when people were talking about a possible full-scale invasion, but they talked about it as something distant. Well, that’s how some people talked about it. Everything is based on information here—society, the media, perhaps foreign observers, politicians abroad who commented on the issues. And do you know what the problem is? A lot of people talk about different things without having any real idea about the subject they are talking about. It’s not that it doesn’t concern our country. That’s how it works in the world in general. If you look, you know, at our war, for example, let’s say, Europeans aren’t even interested, some Asian TV channels, will you hear a different opinion there? Not Russian, as many people think, but simply that this is a war between barbarians. That’s it. Well, people don’t know the truth and they don’t have information.
They perceive the world the way they perceive it. First. And second, it is profitable for them to show certain facts from a politically expedient point of view for themselves. This is absolutely normal. I want to talk more about that period, but even a little earlier, and return to the operation in which you participated. It was a raid in Crimea in August 2016. I know that you also talk about this operation from time to time, but very briefly. I want to talk about that period in a broader context, because in 2016, Russia’s war against Ukraine was already underway. It was also the time when Donald Trump came to power and became president for the first time. It was the year when Putin spoke at the Munich Conference and threatened collective Europe, so to speak. How do intelligence officers dare to undertake such an operation during this turbulent period? Well, obviously, this is our job. I’m telling you, human intelligence can provide real advance information about what special forces units are just beginning to think about, and they can take actions that can often neutralize these threats or simply turn them in another direction. This cannot be done by conventional means. And so on. Only this way.
I want to talk to you about the battlefield. It’s almost over, but the battlefield. Unfortunately, we now have a situation where, well, we understand that we have two battlefields, you know. We have a battlefield that, well, everyone can see, a military one, let’s say, and an internal battlefield, where attempts are being made to undermine our unity. I’m not saying that this is just what’s going on inside. Well, it’s being done by someone from outside. No, that’s not the case. There is a lot of objective information, that’s true, but basically, it’s the manipulation of information and its proper use in the interests of certain players, and here the interests of many global players collide, not just, as everyone thinks, Ukraine and Russia, or some kind of collective collective action. No, first of all, the collective has completely different opinions, sometimes even polar opposites. Secondly, there is also the influence of certain Asian players. It is a very difficult situation.
Therefore, we have two domains, let’s call them internal and military.
If we talk about the internal one, how can we counter these threats, which, let’s say, are threats coming from outside?
Unity. This is the only conclusion, the only option for us to stand, by the way, in military terms, if you like, if we take a broader view and internally. Unity. If unity is broken, nothing will happen. Remember the beginning of 2022, for example. That’s why there were no problems with mobilization then, and there was no need for it. People went on their own. There was unity, there was understanding. Remember 2014, by the way, it was the same. I analyzed, again, history, going back to the history of Ukraine since the time of Bohdan, in great detail since the time of Bohdan Khmelnytsky. A very unpleasant conclusion. In military terms, we have never been defeated, to put it bluntly. Certain battles were lost, and there were serious defeats. There were also very serious victories, which, incidentally, we somehow do not want to remember. Well, it doesn’t matter now, but we always lost because of a loss of unity and internal strife. Always. Not once, I repeat, not once has an external enemy been able to defeat us directly. Each time, we destroyed ourselves. I am going to ask a very banal question about unity, but I cannot help asking it. We are living, if we are talking about Ukrainian society, in difficult times, frankly speaking. And these corruption scandals and power cuts, and the fact that the war is going on, affect everything.
And there will be new twists and turns. I understand and know this very well. The most important thing is not to lose the unity of the state. And for this, we must remember that we are a democratic state governed by the rule of law. There is a crime. Crime must be punished. We cannot turn a blind eye to it. It must be punished. But in addition to punishing the crime itself, we must not forget about the unity of society, especially in wartime. If we bring the situation to the point of social explosion, then, well, no one will be interested in any of this. I will tell you more, no one will even be interested in the war, because Ukraine will simply cease to exist. This is also a terrible truth. And then the dreams of the Russians, which, well, we have repeatedly shown, and in principle they do not hide this, to divide Ukraine into three parts, well, they will be realized if we lose our internal unity. If we move on to the second component of the Ukrainian struggle, the battlefield, the occupiers are now trying to advance in the east and south and are terrorizing the north. At the same time, I will tell you that the majority are in the east. Yes, most of them are in the east. What are the enemy’s priorities on the battlefield? Right now, there’s nothing new to report, I’m afraid. They have set themselves the goal of complete occupation of the Donetsk region. They want to do this, yes, so as not to reveal, as they say, state secrets in the spring of 2026. This is unrealistic.
The complete occupation of the Donetsk region is unrealistic even in theory in such a short time frame. Well, that is, the task is doomed to failure in advance, but they will try there, as it will be, it will be seen in the south, what you are saying, there their attempts to get close to the city of Zaporizhia. They have set this as their goal. And to start artillery terror, artillery drone terror, to force the military command to retreat from the left bank and the civilian population to leave the city. Well, this is the same tactic that they used in the city of Pokrovsk, by the way. Uh-huh. They did the same thing there. But Zaporizhzhia is a little different. First.
Second, no matter what the media is saying now, and this opinion is being spread as widely as possible, that the enemy is almost there, this is not the case. And the situation there is much better than, unfortunately, in the east.
As for Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, for example, no, there is no question of that at all. Okay. As for the north, Sumy region, for example, what are the enemy’s goals? To control, as they say, a buffer zone, a sanitary zone, it is already being called different things. The meaning does not change. This attempt has not been successful so far. As you can see, when we talk about the territories that the enemy is capturing, we can recall the story from April, when Vitkov returned from Moscow, Trump’s special envoy, and said that Russia allegedly wants four regions, well, five regions, plus Crimea. Yes. Recognition, yes, recognition and complete, well, liberation on our part. Uh-huh. And thus end the Russian-Ukrainian war. Well, it will be ready for a peace agreement. Well, at least that’s what Vitkov came with. Eh, how do you assess this plan? From the point of view of why does the enemy need this? They want to occupy the whole of Ukraine. He asked for everything correctly. Absolutely correctly. That is, this is a standard tactic for entering negotiations, the maximum asking position before a maneuver appears to supposedly reduce your request.
Even though you know in advance that what you are asking for is unrealistic and there is not even a chance that it will happen. It’s just a negotiating tactic.
And how did the US react to this plan? Ask them.
Do we see it being implemented? No. No, we don’t. Well, there’s your answer. At this point, I suggest we also move on to exchanges. It’s an important topic. Russia is trying to speculate on this issue, including within Ukrainian society, by not returning some of the fighters. This includes the Azov fighters. Well, that’s wrong and untrue.
All the fighters are being returned. It’s just that there are certain categories that are more difficult to get.
Well, the Azov fighters, for example, whom you mentioned. But everyone forgets to mention that, let’s say, out of a little more than 800 people from Azov who are in captivity, more than 200 have returned. That’s a quarter.
So, to say that they are not being released would also be a bit wrong. The fact that they are being released deliberately, well, with such people, as the head of this mess, I can say, with enormous problems, artificially creating obstacles, yes, and in very small batches, especially recently, yes, that is also true. But you started with that. This is being done artificially to create tension within society. The same situation, by the way, applies to paratroopers, marines, and certain mechanized brigades. They simply know that there is a cohesive segment of society, a category, so to speak, of certain military formations that are as socially active as possible. What should be done? Well, we need to put pressure on them. That’s all. Medvedchuk was exchanged, and some other personnel were exchanged, including priests of the Moscow Patriarchate. Yes, that happened. Do we currently have anyone else whom Russia would like to take back and hand over? There is a list of individuals that they have provided us with, whom they want to return. These are mostly, well, let’s call them spies. Yes, there are such people. Among them are several people of high status, so to speak. That is, there is something to work with.
And the coordination headquarters is working. The coordination headquarters is working. In your interview with Bloomberg in July, you stated that US President Trump’s position is consistent and that it is not worth judging him based on media reports. As the head of the special services, I know more, you emphasized. And who is Donald Trump now for Ukraine? How do we view him?
Well, first, I stand by my position that his actions are as systematic and consistent as possible. And who is he for us? I will just allow myself to paraphrase not your question, but the whole paradigm of this. Without his intervention, I don’t think there is any chance of stopping the fighting. As of now, in another interview, you said that in order for the Russian-Ukrainian war to end, a number of factors must coincide. Well, there was a peace agreement. A whole bunch of factors in Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the United States. Are we close to this convergence now, or have we moved further away from it during this time?
We will be approaching this. In winter, let’s say, our window will open again in mid-February. All events will take place from early February to mid-February.
How do you see the future of the international security architecture so that the Russian-Ukrainian war does not repeat itself in the same way as it is now? It will definitely be modified. Many countries have concluded that, first and foremost, they must rely on their own strength and build strong bilateral relations with those they can trust, i.e., those who will definitely come to their aid.
What happened, especially at the beginning of 2022, during the start of our full-scale invasion, the discussions within NATO showed that certain countries are categorically not ready to make radical decisions. We don’t mention this, but they remembered it very well and drew conclusions from it. Therefore, I think that in parallel with the existence of those large blocs that exist, new regional military-political formations will appear. Will Ukraine be taken in, or will Ukraine recruit? You know, I would like Ukraine to recruit. We’ll see how it goes. Time will tell. Ukrainians are always looking for a messiah. And this messiah has to be from within, because in Ukrainian kitchens, people are always talking about who should be president, prime minister, or head of state. Well, they talk about everyone. This one’s no good, let’s try the next one. That one’s no good, let’s try the next one. It’s the same abroad. At first, we hoped that Biden would come here and the war would end. Then Trump came. Those hopes continued for a certain period of time, longer than 24 hours but less than a year, because we realized that ending the Russian-Ukrainian war is not so easy. And from this, the logical conclusion is that we need to rely on ourselves and work on our defense capabilities, endurance, and unity, as you said. How can this be done in such turbulent and uncertain times?
I’m sorry, but I already answered that question today. Unity. If there is unity, we will overcome everything. It may be very painful and difficult, perhaps not in a happy and joyful atmosphere, but we will overcome. If there is no unity, even if you give us trillions of dollars and all the weapons in the world, it will not help. Without unity, everything will be lost. And all the human sacrifices that have been made will be in vain.
I sincerely hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel for those who are currently searching for it. And we will remember unity, as in 2022, when Russia planned to capture us in three days. But we have been at war for almost four years now.
Thank you for this interview. Thank you. It was a pleasure.
Stressful, don’t have time to post as much, but you seem to keep the thread going well without me! 👍