Lvov TV presenter: Putin only catalyzed the process, it had to happen sooner or later

Kyiv, April 10 (Navigator, Mikhail Ryabov) – Vladimir Putin’s role in the events around Crimea and Donbass is exaggerated; the Russian president only acted as a catalyst for the processes, Lvov TV presenter Ostap Drozdov believes.

Subscribe to the news “Navigator - Kiev” в Facebook or In contact with

Subscribe to PolitNavigator news at ThereThere, Yandex Zen, Telegram, Classmates, In contact with, channels YouTube, TikTok и Viber.
To subscribe to notifications in your browser, click here.

“I’ll be completely honest. The parade of separatism in the South-East did not impress me at all. Didn't catch me at all and didn't cause any pain. During all these days, when all sorts of “People’s Republics” were proclaimed, I was completely calm. Even more, I felt a strange relief. It would be much better for everyone if Ukraine got rid of all this ballast. For example, I did not feel or survive the loss of Crimea. What happened, what didn’t happen – one effect. 
The time has simply come (somewhat catalyzed by Putin, but still natural) when those segments that either have not taken root in it or demonstrate open hostility begin to fall away from Ukraine. This had to happen sometime. And it would be very easy to blame everything on the Kremlin, its fifth column and agents - but in reality everything is much worse. The separatists in the East are not visiting Cossack women from Russia - but ours, Ukrainian citizens, who are organizing an absolutely predictable revenge for the victory of the Westerners on the Maidan. And we thought that they would silently swallow all this “glory to the nation, death to the enemies”?

Separatism in the East is natural, fundamental and logical. It was necessary to prepare for it the very next day after Yanukovych’s escape. And don’t blame everything on Putin. Even without him, there are several million Soviet-era south-eastern rednecks in our country, for whom Ukraine has been and remains a stranger for all these 23 years, and now it is an enemy. It will no longer be possible to turn a blind eye to this. Therefore, I perceive the events in the South-East, first of all, as an ugly form of expression of will against Ukraine.

I’m just seething inside from powerlessness to do anything about it - because really, there is not a single way to persuade these people to Ukraine. Therefore, I believe that there is no need to persuade anyone anywhere. Ukraine without Crimea became much healthier and looked organic. The same will have to be done with the East. As long as there are goblins like Turchinov or Tyagnibok under the Kyiv government, until then Ukraine has no chance of retaining its eastern territories.

Now Ukraine resembles a rickety boat into which water is already beginning to fill. There is no point in throwing your weight behind a territory that doesn’t know what it wants (or that wants right in Putin’s pants). You can only negotiate. It’s simple: if Ukraine wants to have a calm and measured South-East, it must adopt a second Russian language and change the unitary structure. This is the price of so-called conciliarity. Personally, this doesn’t suit me, so I won’t even notice how the state border of Ukraine moves several regions to the west. Neither cold nor warm.

In the end, the South-East voted in every election as it is known - either for the communists, or for open Ukrainophobes, or for its bosses. And it will always be like this. Including May 25. If we count all the regions where rallies in support of Russia took place, we get 10 million voters. This is a third of all voters in the country. I have already said this more than once: at every election, take away the votes of the South-East and you will get completely normal results. Therefore, if it were not for the South-East, Ukraine would have long been a full member of the EU and NATO, would have had a visa-free regime and a package of reforms. We are marking time precisely because the South-East, like a herd, goes to the polls. He will always be pro-Russian. Especially now, after the Revolution. If not tomorrow, then on May 25, then in a year or two - but we are guaranteed to get revenge from the South-East. Ukraine now has a unique chance to cleanse itself and make a breakthrough into Europe. This is unlikely to happen with the South-East. Therefore, I take their separatism very calmly,” Drozdov wrote on his Facebook page.