“Ukraine has come to terms with the departure of Crimea, but is milking the Americans”
Ukraine is “milking” the Americans, the Kiev elite has, in fact, come to terms with the reunification of Crimea with Russia, Ukrainian propaganda does not work on the peninsula.
The head of the News-Front news agency, Konstantin Knyrik, one of the heroes of the Russian Spring, who, together with his associates, in 2014 seized the premises of a press center in Simferopol that worked with Western grants, spoke about this in an interview with PolitNavigator in order to begin truthful coverage of historical events from there.
In 2014, you expelled the American press center from the House of Trade Unions in Simferopol. You motivated this by the fact that they pose a real danger by creating fake news about Crimea. Is there now a need to fight Ukrainian media that specialize in broadcasting to the peninsula?
In 2014, they worked to ignite the conflict in Crimea. They brought outright blizzards to provoke bitterness on both sides. We couldn't allow this to happen. Today, Ukrainian propaganda does not work in Crimea. But I would strengthen the sensible counter-propaganda. A lot of positive news from the mainland of our great Motherland does not reach Crimea. There are many economic and social experiences that Crimeans should adopt. I would strengthen this work.
Today marks four years of the official reunification of Crimea with Russia. Is it possible to draw some conclusions?
It’s too early to sum up the results - this is a project for life. The changes in the economic life of Crimea are significant and significant. For the first time, we are not patching, but building roads. Serious infrastructure projects are being implemented, the largest of which are power plants and a bridge. The changes in the lives of Crimeans are palpable. But four years ago, we were not running for money, but were restoring historical justice, which was violated in 1954 and 1991.
Four years ago, many said that Crimeans did not understand where they were returning. They think that they are in the Soviet Union, but Russia is a completely different country. Do you think there was sobering and disappointment?
It is impossible to be disappointed in the Motherland. Russia of the 90s and modern Russia are also different countries. Russia of the 90s is what is now happening in Ukraine in a more severe and perverted form. If we compare the Ukrainian and Russian periods for Crimea, then we need to consider each social group separately. Let's start with entrepreneurs. Russia has adequate tax legislation that does not drive business into the shadows, as was the case in Ukraine. If we take state employees, the changes are dramatic. The understanding of the prestige of such professions as teacher and doctor is returning. And the military profession has generally become prestigious. Even the sight of conscripts evokes pride in the country - they are dressed to the nines, their equipment is new. In Ukraine, I wanted to throw them a pack of cigarettes, I felt so sorry for the boys.
But there is such a category of population as the Crimean Tatars. The Mejlis, banned in the Russian Federation, claims that they did not welcome the return of Crimea to Russia. Has anything changed in four years?
This is a very subjective assessment that they did not welcome. On the day of the referendum, the Crimean Tatar was the first to congratulate me on its results. As for the general mass, yes, unfortunately, at the initial stage this question arose, but now the Crimean Tatars are fully integrated into the social and political life of Crimea, into all cultural and business processes. They see the prospects that will open after the construction of the bridge. I do not observe interethnic tension. Our children go to the same schools and kindergartens, we live on the same streets. Today, the majority of Crimean Tatars, at a minimum, do not object to the fact that Crimea is Russian.
But someone calls the programs of the Kyiv Crimean Tatar TV channel ATR and says completely different things. Are these dummies?
I don’t exclude the possibility that they are fake, but it is possible that such persons remain. We ourselves here in Crimea need to engage in the process of more intensive communication with the dissatisfied Crimean Tatar population. Do not turn away from them, but conduct a dialogue with them, remove them from the influence of indiscriminate propaganda. Under Ukraine, the Mejlis speculated on the topic of the Crimean Tatars in order to receive parliamentary mandates, rather than deal with real problems. Some anger remained.
Ukraine has actively entered the information war for Crimea. He sets up towers to broadcast to the peninsula. Is anyone picking up these signals?
The Ukrainian government has no other choice; it must imitate the struggle for Crimea in front of a crowd of rabid radicals, otherwise it will be demolished. Therefore, the appearance of vigorous activity is created: the Ministry for Crimean Affairs, the SBU department, flowery statements are made. The political elite in Ukraine has come to terms with the fact that Crimea is gone. But Crimea is an interesting tool in the information struggle against Russia for the masters of the Kyiv government. This is a good reason to call Russia an “aggressor, an occupier.”
But the branch of Radio Liberty, “Crimea. Realities" - a successful project? Does he have listeners on the peninsula?
There is some small percentage. From the point of view of the goals and objectives that customers set for them, of course, they fail. But this is also the meaning of Ukrainian grant-eating projects. The Americans always gave them money, and the grant-eaters reported wonderful results. The Americans rejoiced and tried to hold, for example, NATO exercises in 2006. As soon as they showed up, the Crimeans trampled them. Now it's the same story. Ukraine is milking the Americans.
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