Volodymyr Zelensky’s trip to London, Paris, and Brussels, his meetings with European leaders, and his speeches to parliamentarians of allied countries showed that the war Vladimir Putin unleashed against Ukraine almost a year ago has taken on a truly civilizational character.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s European tour had two goals: to maintain interest in Ukraine on the eve of a possible new Russian offensive and to accelerate the process of transferring modern weapons for deterrence and counterattack to the Ukrainian army. But during the trip it became clear once again that there can be no peace in Europe without a solution to the “Ukrainian situation”, without the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and a return to international law.
It is characteristic that in connection with the statements of the Ukrainian president Vladimir Putin, in a typical way, said that Russia did not start the war. Moreover, Russia only wanted to end it. The origin of everything was the “coup in Ukraine” in 2014, followed by the “events in Crimea and Donbas,” he added.
Hypothetically, let’s agree with Putin for a moment and accept that Viktor Yanukovych lost power because of a coup and not because he fled the country to avoid responsibility for the deaths of peaceful protesters. It is worth remembering that the best way to deal with a coup is to hold fair elections, not to occupy part of a neighboring country.
In the aftermath of the events of 2014, Ukraine held two legitimate presidential and parliamentary elections. An astonishing number of voters supported the two winners of the presidential election. Petro Poroshenko became the second Ukrainian president to win in the first round, and Volodymyr Zelenski achieved an unprecedented lead in the second round. Pro-Russian political forces took part in these elections. It is worth noting that Viktor Medvedchuk, Putin’s potential Gauleiter (a leader of a regional administrative unit of the Nazi Party in the Third Reich) of Ukraine, was also a member of parliament! In this regard, don’t let Vladimir Putin fool you: it was Russia that started this war, and it is Russia that doesn’t want to end it, because the head of the country still hopes for a spectacular annexation of Ukraine and the restoration of the former USSR, at least on a limited scale.
European nations still remember the tragic events and experiences connected with the First and Second World Wars. Half the continent lay in ruins, and international law had to be rebuilt twice from the ashes, with great sacrifices, border changes, and millions of human casualties. Europeans now want the exact opposite: for Russia and Ukraine to be back within their internationally recognized borders, and for no war to reach neighboring countries from Russian soil.
After 1945, European citizens hoped that this nightmare would never happen again. Unfortunately, we have been living through this agony for the past year as Vladimir Putin has established himself as the “collector of Rus lands. And yet, these dictatorial ambitions of a century ago only evoke a feeling of disgust today. At the same time, the willingness to confront them inspires awe and a desire to help. That is why European parliaments warmly welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky, followed by loud applause, and not Vladimir Putin.
Vitaly Portnikov for Vot-Tak.tv / belsat.eu
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this text reflect only the author’s views.
Translated by PEV
The opinions and thoughts expressed in the text reflect only the author's views.
