How Yeltsin was scared by a fake war with Ukraine
In a confrontation with the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR in 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin used a fake statement that declaring Sevastopol Russian would lead to war with Ukraine.
Advisor to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Pavel Zhovnirenko spoke about this on UKRLIFE.TV, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I was then an assistant to the head of the commission under the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmitry Pavlichko. The Russian Supreme Council voted for the Russian status of the city of Sevastopol. It was Friday, I was sitting on the phone, evening, no one was there. A call from one of the Western radio stations: “This decision has been made.” I just heard it. They ask for Pavlychko, I say that he is not there.
“Who is the deputy?” - “There is no deputy” - “Maybe deputies?” - "No and you?" – “Assistant” – “Can you comment?” I say that I cannot comment, I do not have such authority. “Okay, what if we say that you are a commission employee of the Committee who wished to remain anonymous?” I say that this is a normal option. And I said that this is definitely a declaration of war.
I come home and listen to this radio: “This is clearly a declaration of war,” said a commission representative who wished to remain anonymous.” Another radio station: “The head of the commission of the Foreign Affairs Committee said that this is a declaration of war,” “the head of the commission Pavlychko said that this is a declaration of war.”
The next day I listen to this message about the situation with the declaration of war. Yeltsin was somewhere in Siberia at this time, and he had a confrontation with the Supreme Council, and he declared Sevastopol a Russian city. And Yeltsin says: “Well, should we fight with Ukraine now, or what? What are they doing there, this Supreme Council?
This was Yeltsin’s reaction. And after that there was a meeting of the presidium, and Pavlychko comes and says: “Listen, when did I talk about declaring war yesterday?” “Well, Dmitry Vasilyevich, it’s a hard day, everything was spinning and so on,” said Zhovnirenko.
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