Russian oppositionist on Russian and US cooperation. “Therefore favouring Putin”

Jakub Szczepański, Interia: How do Russians receive Donald Trump's return in politics towards Ukraine?

Vladimir Ponomariov, Russian oppositionist and erstwhile Secretary of State at the Ministry of Construction of the FR in the governments of Putin and Mikhail Kasjanov: – From the beginning it was clear to me that Donald Trump is the most comfortable president of the United States for Vladimir Putin. Both do not share universal values based on the Euro-Atlantic civilization. In their opinion, no 1 has the right to question their decisions, they have indivisible power. Putin has an indefinite period, Trump – for at least 2 years. They are guided solely by their own or nationalistic interests. Besides, Trump focuses on the Chinese, not European direction.

What do you mean?

– China is considered by the Americans to be a possibly equivalent player due to the fact that Russia has little economical potential. The Kremlin is little valuable to Washington, possibly with the exception of natural resources and atomic weapons, and as a partner for balance with China, due to the fact that the triangle is simply a rigid structure. Thirdly, Donald Trump, unlike Joe Biden, never committed in any way to Ukraine. He never said his goal was to fight Putin's regime.

Is that adequate to leave Ukraine without American help?

– Trump puts home affairs first, due to the fact that the American economy is not developing dynamically due to the mistakes of its predecessors. They bet on the improvement of American businesses in Asia, which enriched corporations, stimulated business as user, but at the expense of their own citizens. Hence the favour of Vladimir Putin and the Russian elite, their national selfishness.

Is the U.S. President's favour to Moscow visible to the bare eye?

– Following Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's first telephone call, the stock exchange listings of Russian companies fired. You can besides see a change in the rhetoric of the regime. In His Speeches Sergei Lavrov and another Russian dignitaries voice their discontent with European Union policy and praise the American administration. On the another hand, Russia has been a catalyst for change in the perception of statehood worldwide. reasoning first of all about your own peculiar interests, you can see in different countries, including the West, which may rise serious concerns.

What should we be afraid of?

– erstwhile again, we may be dealing with the bipolar world. After the 1945 conferences in Yalta and Potsdam, on 1 side we had countries built on the principles of freedom understood by Immanuel Kant. After the second totalitarian regimes, allies of the russian Union.

Following Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's first telephone call, the stock exchange listings of Russian companies fired. You can besides see a change in the rhetoric of the regime.

How would it look today?

– China, Russia, and the United States share the same philosophy, based on the nationalistic interest of the state. A akin polarization is besides seen in any politicians in France, in Germans, I am not talking about the proputinist regimes of Slovakia and Hungary anymore. You gotta realize the danger and then find a solution to the problem.

The United States, Russia and China have so far seemed to be competing countries. How would they get along?

– Look at the Arctic: Russia needs allies to manage the region and its resources. In the Far East it is China, in the West Greenland, which the United States looks at with desire. Consider that the most natural resources are presently located in the north of Russia. This could be the basis for economical cooperation between the 3 powers.

How will bringing Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin closer together affect Europe? Wouldn't that be an invitation to attack at least the Baltic countries?

– Putin has already entered the warpath, Trump does not think in these categories. erstwhile I talk about the similarities between them, I mean the philosophy. The president of Russia is simply a criminal, he's already started a war. The most dangerous thing is if he wins the war on Ukraine. If that happens, his momentum for combat will not decrease. In this case, countries bordering Russia, including Poland, should feel threatened. This may not happen very quickly, but there is no uncertainty that it will.

Why are you so sure?

– Americans hesitate, they don't know precisely what to do. Moscow produces far more weapons than NATO, the army is mobilized, in far more numbers than the West. If we let Putin to decision on, Europe will be threatened. I am almost 80 years old, I could say that I do not care, due to the fact that I will not see the Russian army on the border with Poland. I just have kids and grandchildren. I don't want to leave them in a troubled world.

Suppose Ukraine surrenders its territory, Donald Trump will usage the mineral resources of this country. Does that change anything?

– As for the Ukrainian resource agreement, I am skeptical. I know how many Ukraine has. They are besides in the territories conquered by Russia. Donald Trump is talking about $300 billion that could make his country. In fact, even $100 billion is besides much. On the another hand, it is actual that the proposal for an American-Ukrainian agreement provides any informal safety guarantees for Ukraine, due to the fact that the Russians will not come against the United States.

Territorial conquest in Ukraine will halt Russian imperialism?

– Only an active policy that is now presented by Poland, the UK or France can change the situation. The most crucial problem is not to halt the war for a short while, but permanently. That's why Vladimir Putin can't be won.

What is Moscow's triumph in the war against Ukraine, in your opinion?

– For the government it is most crucial that society and the Russian elite have a sense of triumph in war. If the Russians receive the end of the conflict or its freezing as a defeat, Vladimir Putin lost. Peace talks must so be very precise between the United States, Europe, Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin can't be besides privileged. Personally, however, I believe that only the failure of Moscow can warrant lasting peace on earth.

Doesn't it look like, especially in the context of Donald Trump's actions, Russia would lose this war?

– all decision has a certain effect. In 2014, you had to think about what to do. But we made so many mistakes. If this has not been done, we request to think about the supply of weapons in quantities that exceed Europe's production capacity present – that is the mistake price. The Western planet never had any strategy to fight Russia. Vladimir Putin should feel that what he did is evil.

Is sanctions not enough?

– They were misplanned. Putin made money, almost unlimited, traded oil with countries like China and India. You can see that the aid for Ukraine was besides small: it allowed not to lose, but it did not let victory. What we are talking about present is simply a long-term consequence of actions since 2014, erstwhile Russia provoked the revolt in Donbasa and annexed Crimea.

Do you think Ukraine is already lost?

– Fortunately, Europe is beginning to wake up. I was listening to a speech on Wednesday. Donald Tusk. I see Poland's balanced but tough position to consolidate all Western countries to fight. And you can besides see that Volodymyr Zelenski He began to search compromise in talks with Donald Trump. Politicians start reasoning about the future alternatively of focusing on the past. The situation is very tense, but not tragic. Kind of like a Caribbean crisis.

How does the secret deployment of mid-range ballistic missiles in Cuba that threatened the US straight in 1962 gotta do with the current situation in Ukraine?

– At the time, I was 16, and I remember the horror my parents listened to. The planet has experienced many situations erstwhile everything was on the brink of disaster. I believe that self-preservation will work for politicians. Not just Western, but Russian.

Jakub Szczepański