Stanislau Shushkevich: Russia thinks empire is impossible without Ukraine

Today's meeting in Minsk will not stop the war.

Stanislau Shushkevich, the first head of independent Belarus, said it in an interview with Radio Racyja.

– What I think is that the Kremlin will not stop military action, because it has no other ways. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko won't agree on other conditions. If Europe finds a principled (and influential) position, we have a hope for solving the conflict. Putin now enjoys the support of the Russians who want to live better. The Russian authorities cannot give it, which is natural, but a victory can mobilise them. I'd like to be mistaken, but I don't expect any positive results from the Minsk summit.

– Why are ordinary Russians (and many Belarusians who listen to the Moscow propaganda) being so bloodthirsty towards the people of Ukraine?

– The question is difficult. It's obvious that media are able to brainwash almost everybody. What is the point of the Russian propaganda? They say Russian-speaking people had problems in Ukraine and Ukrainian nationalism is everywhere. I'd like to say that Ukrainian patriots, who glorified certain acts by Bandera, made mistakes, too. Bandera was a patriot, but let's be honest, he made huge efforts to win and he had blood on his hands that could have been avoided. It was easy to propaganda to use it and make people want to save the Russians. Ukrainian patriots have courage, but they lack wisdom. Maybe Poroshenko will remedy it.

– What is your forecast about the situation in Ukraine?

– I'd like to repeat that if the Kremlin stops doing what it began to do, it will lose its influence both inside the country and in the world. I'm afraid that the war will go on. Russia apparently thinks the empire is impossible without Ukraine.

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