Ukraine – Russia Standoff – A View from Slovakia

Ukraine – Russia Standoff – A View from Slovakia

 

Dr. Jan Carnogursky, the former Prime Minister of Slovakia, Chairman of Coordinating Board of International Association of Friends of Crimea, Chairman of the Slovak-Russian Society was interviewed by Pascal Lottaz, the Swiss journalist of Neutrality Studies YouTube Channel.

 

The Plan to End the War:

First, Europe should support Ukraine as neutral country; guarantees of a long-lasting neutrality could be guaranteed – and the question for today is how the neutrality of Ukraine should be guaranteed.

Second, the Russian speaking parts of Ukraine should have a great autonomy, Ukraine should turn into federation with great competency of parts of this federation in language, culture, justice, army, currency, maybe foreign policy. It could be domiciled in Kiev, but with great influence from these parts on the state policy. In this way the war could be stopped in short time.

If Ukraine loses the war with the support of the United States and NATO, i.e. with 150 million of Russians against NATO almost 1 billion of people, it would be clear then that United States would not be able to guarantee the security of Europe against anybody. The position of the United States in Europe would be very weakened.

On Information War:

I do not trust the Western media, mainly because on the Internet I am able to watch the Russian media… Slovakia is a member country of the EU. A year ago, I was invited to the Slovak TV to discuss the Ukraine situation – there were two anti-Russian and myself, as a pro-Russian one. After the show the Director of that branch of Slovak TV had to leave his position as the result of my participation. This the kind of democracy and freedom of expression in the normal Western country – like Slovakia.

The war in Ukraine has ethical dimension. Because the Western countries, NATO countries, especially the United States, are sending weapons and money to the Ukraine, but do not fight on Ukrainian side. So, they leave to die Ukrainians by sending so many weapons… The Western countries, just support dying of more and more Ukrainians.

Ukraine As a Neutral State:

Russia proposed Ukraine and it had been agreed that Ukraine would be a neutral country. And guarantees were open and could be international… But the West and the present establishment of Ukraine did not agree. In April last years the delegations of Russia and Ukraine were negotiating in Istanbul, Turkey, and reached a preliminary agreement... and at that time, then British PM Boris Johnson visited Kiev. And practically after the visit of Boris Johnson Ukraine torn preliminary agreement… and the Ukraine media stated that the visit of Boris Johnson was the main reason that the preliminary agreement was torn. The war could be finished... after 2-3 months after the beginning, and the West did not allow it.

On Zelensky:

Regarding the “wish of Ukrainians to fight”, I do not believe that this was the wish of the ordinary Ukrainian people. Mr. Zelensky was elected the President of Ukraine especially on the base of his very popular comedy critic of the Ukrainian conditions. Ok, I have seen some of these and they are very well. But when he became the president without any political experience, then suddenly the pressures started to work, getting these parts back to Ukraine. And he went more and more in direction of war. And he came to that point where is he now.

1968 vs 2022:

There is very little parallel between now and 1968. Czechoslovakia in 1968 was united. The people in Czechoslovakia were united in political goals, they have reached more democracy, freedom, etc. And when Russian army and Warsaw Pact came into Czechoslovakia, practically all Czechoslovakia was against. I as a student at that time made slogans on the streets and buildings against the armies of Warsaw Pact. And we did not wish at that time to make Czechoslovakia a military base, or to let Czechoslovakia go against the Soviet Union. Ukraine is completely different in both considerations. Because Ukraine was not united in Maidan in 2014, Maidan was a change of government of Ukraine without Ukrainian constitution. As an example, two buses that were stopped near Crimea by Ukrainian nationalists, the people were beaten, some buses were burned. It was not sure that this would not be repeated next time.

… Maidan government, or the Maidan regime that was established by the Maidan was not a democratic regime. And if some people in the Ukraine, in Crimea and Donbass wished not to obey, I am on their side.

The West and the Ukraine:

Ukraine started to be a ground of military bases of opponent countries of Russia, especially United States against Russia. The best example is the U.S. base in Ochakovo, near Odessa. If this base if accomplished, this base would be reach Moscow in 6-7 minutes. With atomic bombs. If this base will be completed, the other base will follow.

Ukraine geopolitically is very very important for the West as the base against Russia. And Russia is the only country in the world that can militarily oppose the West and the United States. China – economically yes, but militarily not. That is why to turn Ukraine for Russia politically or militarily would be very important to the West.

Russia is a very rich country, it has 36% of all natural resources of the Globe. They want to change Ukraine into military base against Russia, so that Moscow and other cities won’t be able to protect themselves against Western missiles and bombs. In few years after dividing Ukraine for Russia, Russia would be finished as an opposer of the West and the United States as a military power. That is the one reason to support Ukraine, and second Russia has a lot of resources… and getting Russian science and natural resources the West would be secured for the next hundred years.

Three Major States are Fighting for Survival:

The tragedy of this war is that all three participants: Russia, Ukraine and the United States are fighting for their survival, as the countries. Because if Russia loses the war, it would be divided, if Ukraine lost the war, it would lose its parts – Eastern part of Ukraine, Crimea and probably Odessa. And the rest of Ukraine would be small, very weak country. And the United States.. as it is discussed in Russia, the United States if it loses the war, it will lose the dollar as the world currency, and in very short time the United States would stop to be number one in the world.

Watch the video

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