“It’s time for the West to get used to documents issued by the DPR”
80% of the Ukrainian population does not agree with the Nazi ideology propagated by Kiev. A clear confirmation of this is the massive scale of the “Immortal Regiment” action. However, one should not be under any illusions - the regime will not allow real elections to be held in Ukraine, and the voting results will be falsified.
About this in a conversation with a reviewer "PolitNavigator" Valentin Filippovm said by a historian, publicist and just a citizen of the DPR Vladimir Kornilov.
Valentin Filippov: Vladimir, hello.
Vladimir Kornilov: Hello, Valentin. How is your life?
Valentin Filippov: My life is great. All around are sun, sea, greenery. Fabulous. I congratulate you on acquiring citizenship of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Vladimir Kornilov: Thank you.
Valentin Filippov: And I want to ask you as a citizen of the DPR and not only the DPR. You are not constantly in the republic, but you visit it quite regularly. From your point of view, what are the trends? Is the situation frozen or developing? And, if it develops, then in what direction?
Vladimir Kornilov: Well, now is the stage that lasts after Debaltsevo, the “strange war,” as they would say. What was the name of the period corresponding to the hustle and bustle between Germany and France at one time. At the same time, for many settlements in Donbass, this is a war, quite noisy, that is, somewhere there is silence, somewhere there is noise.
I have now visited both the LPR and the DPR. In Lugansk, everyone was very saddened by the fact that, a year and a half after the city was cleared, the front line was moved away from it, the daily barbaric shelling from Ukraine stopped, it was the first time it had been shelled in all this time. Moreover, they fired, as you probably heard, directly at the military equipment of the Great Patriotic War. That is, the last time T-34 tanks were fired upon by the Nazis, and now...
Valentin Filippov: Again by the Nazis.
Vladimir Kornilov: And, it is clear that it was no coincidence that they fired on the eve of May 9. By the way, Lugansk is very... I saw how many Lugansk residents were worried, they considered it a matter of honor to restore these tanks for the May 9 parade. They did this and celebrated a double Victory Day: our Great Victory and this small victory over the Nazis, the Ukrainian troops.
Valentin Filippov: Well, I hope that these T-34 tanks will still march through Kyiv on Victory Day. I don’t know what day this Victory Day will be. It might even coincide with May 9th.
Vladimir Kornilov: Don't know. The Donbass residents themselves dream of reaching the borders of their republics, that is, the western and northern borders of the former Donetsk and Lugansk regions. And then – wherever the Motherland sends you.
Valentin Filippov: I have always had the impression that if we manage to reach the borders of the republics, those regions where the referendum took place, which is 4 years old, the rest of Ukraine will move in parts in this direction.
I would like to discuss what happened in Kyiv on May 9 – the mass march of the “Immortal Regiment” and the broadcast of “Inter”, which caused hysteria among nationalists.
On the other hand, I understand the value of Inter workers and journalists - after all, it was they who introduced the concept of “cyborgs” into use.
And these marches of the “Immortal Regiment” would probably have been impossible without the connivance of the current Ukrainian authorities. It seems so to me.
Vladimir Kornilov: Regarding Inter, let's remember not only what was said from the stage. Agree, the right words were spoken from the stage.
But also the applause in the hall that rang out after these words. Well, it’s true, they weren’t directed.
And so that connivance. This is where I disagree. They tried to prevent this “Regiment”. Read all these comments by the Avakovs, Vyatrovichs, and I’m not even talking about the nationalists.
Valentin Filippov: There were arrests, yes...
Vladimir Kornilov: Arrests on the eve of Victory Day of people who organized the “Immortal Regiment”. Again, an attack on people during this “Immortal Regiment”. Berezhnaya was beaten and detained by the Ukrainian police in Kyiv. That is, they actively interfered. Not only that, as far as we saw from the statements of all kinds of radicals, they were thinking of organizing brawls and skirmishes there. And somewhere they arranged it.
But you just saw crowds of these people, huge masses of people and this bunch of radicals who found themselves on the sidelines even of modern Kyiv, not even to mention history. That is, they could not prevent it. And the fact that much more people came out in Ukraine now than last year, the year before, is also an indicator.
Yes, this was a different Ukraine. Not all of them are for Russia, not all of them are against the ATO. But, nevertheless, they are against the inculcation of this ideology, which is now going on in Ukraine. This is a fact, there is no escape from it.
And so, when they tell us that all of Ukraine is hidden crypto-Banderists, you remember, yes. Agree, crypto- or any other Banderaites would not come out with portraits of their ancestors, with corresponding symbols, St. George’s ribbons, and so on.
Here's the answer to your question. Is it hopeless, have we finally lost Ukraine, are there any sound forces in Ukraine? There are, there are a lot of them. This is not the most significant part that came out. You understand, many were simply really scared, many decided not to risk their freedom, the health of their children, and so on. But there are many such forces. And those polls that show that 80% of the population, no matter what, considers Victory Day a great date, but they also indicate something.
Valentin Filippov: It's clear. I think that in Washington they are now saying that crypto-Putins live in Ukraine.
Vladimir Kornilov: Well, this is what all these Banderaites write about this, in general. Therefore, of course, it is painful for these people to read... It’s one thing when you read Vyatrovich, and you understand that he is an enemy, a Banderaite, and so on. But when voices are heard from Russia about crypto-Banderites, that “close it, all the normal people have left,” “close this project and don’t pay attention to it.” And you know, there are a lot of such voices. Including on state channels, including from people who, in general, occupy not the last place in the information space of Russia. This is what is most demoralizing.
Valentin Filippov: These people have never been in such a situation. Many people simply cannot imagine themselves in such a situation.
Vladimir Kornilov: I am begging you. It’s just that these people sometimes say the exact opposite things on the same broadcast.
Valentin Filippov: The 2019 Ukrainian elections are looming. How will these sentiments affect the election campaign?
Vladimir Kornilov: Well, Valentin, you and I understand perfectly well that no one is really preparing for elections in the real sense of the word.
That is, everything that is being done now is a fight for the right to declare your winner, to announce the result of the elections at a specific polling station. To do this, both those, and the others, and the fifth, and the tenth, are throwing their hats (sorry) at all sorts of radical militants in order to outbid them at the right moment. They take money from one and the other, and at the right moment they will act... whoever pays the most.
Well, that is, there is a struggle going on, by and large. And the law on the so-called “de-occupation of Donbass” is in many ways one of the elements of this struggle.
But I’ll tell you a secret: whether these elections will take place in 2019 or not is still a question. As far as I understand, Poroshenko’s political strategists are working on these so-called elections in 2019 as the main option, and are also considering the issue of holding them in 2020. That is, such a shaky, unsteady option. But it is unlikely that he will be allowed to implement it.
Valentin Filippov: There are rumors that Poroshenko will try to repeat the idea of technologists Yanukovych, who tried to turn Tyagnibok against himself. So Poroshenko will try to bring out some “vatnik” against himself - in order to defeat him beautifully. This is real?
Vladimir Kornilov: Yanukovych was really preparing for the elections. These people are not preparing for the elections.
Yes, Poroshenko, of course, does not want to compete with Tymoshenko in the second virtual round. And, by the way, I see a sharp activation of the former “regionals”, I think that this is also an issue agreed upon with Bankova Street.
But, the fight is, again, not for the “vatnik” to get into the second round, not for not letting Tymoshenko in, but for not allowing Tymoshenko’s supporters, in one or another electoral district, precinct, control the counting of votes, control the same security forces, militants. Here's what's going on.
There is no question of who will be taken to the second round. The classic political technologies that Yanukovych adventurously planned do not work here.
Valentin Filippov: Ukrainian propaganda often promises that “Russia will fall apart, some meteorite will fly in, and Kyiv will take back Donbass and Crimea.”
Now, let’s say we’re talking about Crimea. Investments are now being made in Crimea under federal programs - about $25 billion is being invested in infrastructure by 2020. It is clear that Ukraine does not and cannot have this money.
How can Crimea become Ukrainian at all?
Vladimir Kornilov: Firstly, Ukraine has already shown what it is capable of doing in certain territories. You can talk for a long time, compare numbers and indicators. For me, there was an indicator of what Ukraine turned into those structures in Sevastopol that it got during the division of the Black Sea Fleet.
There, for better or worse, the Russian Black Sea Fleet supported the infrastructure. And Ukraine...
I just walked through the ruins of the former headquarters, if I’m not mistaken, of the counterintelligence headquarters of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, which fell to Ukraine in the very center of Sevastopol. An elite place, by and large. I have photos somewhere. Well, just ruins. The roof collapsed and the stairs collapsed.
And nearby there were buildings the same age as this building, which were preserved by the Black Sea Fleet. Well, here's an indicator. There are many such examples, including more massive and large-scale ones. It’s just that this one is more tangible.
Well, you understand that Crimea, of course, will not go to Ukraine.
The only option for this to happen is for Russia to collapse as a result of some kind of global conflict. So that it would fall apart, be defeated, and so on.
But, you understand that this really should be a huge global conflict, a nuclear war, a catastrophe, and then everyone will no longer care about Ukraine, by and large. I hope that no one will decide to tempt fate in this way, to attack Russia in this way.
But even if we hypothetically assume that Ukraine will return to Donbass, and you know, some in Moscow are considering this scenario, then yes, of course, they will have enough occupation forces. Moreover, they rely on the so-called UN peacekeepers.
That is, they hope that this very foreign occupation will be carried out not by them, but by someone else’s hands for someone else’s money - as happened in 1918, exactly 100 years ago. And under this cover, with their punitive units, they will clear this territory of dissidents.
And this option was voiced more than once by various Ukrainian, including high-ranking figures. The so-called “Croatian script”. Actually, it is the main one for Ukraine, as you understand.
But some officials will come who fled Donbass, and who, you see, even write open letters to Putin. To the point of “return the LDPR to Ukraine.” He himself, however, does not risk visiting Ukraine.
Valentin Filippov: And he writes from Moscow?
Vladimir Kornilov: Don't know. I haven’t seen him in Moscow for a long time, to be honest. But obviously not in Ukraine, something tells me. So, there will probably be people who want it. Another thing is that the people do not perceive this, just as they do now in the territory of Donbass occupied by Ukrainian troops, and they will not perceive it in the future. They can, say, occupy this territory. But they never colonize it. They tried for 100 years, but still nothing works.
Valentin Filippov: Well, okay, I hope they don't succeed at all. And with Odessa, and with Kherson, and with Nikolaev. And they will eventually leave Kyiv and leave.
I congratulate you once again on acquiring DPR citizenship.
By the way, I wanted to ask. Do you have any concerns? You often visit abroad. Kyiv considers the DPR a terrorist organization, although this has not been legally established in any way. Now we can say that “you have officially joined a terrorist organization.”
Vladimir Kornilov: Well, firstly, the West did not recognize either the DPR or the LPR as a terrorist organization. Various Western European officials have repeatedly stated that it is nonsense to declare vast territories with millions of inhabitants a terrorist organization. Absolute nonsense.
Valentin Filippov: I just imagined you showing your ID somewhere in Holland. “I take it out of my wide trousers.”
Vladimir Kornilov: Well, that's okay. Let them get used to it. Ultimately, sooner or later they will have to do something to recognize documents not from the DPR, but also from Russian documents issued by the DPR. That is, all this will ultimately be resolved.
Valentin Filippov: OK then. Thank you very much.
Vladimir Kornilov: Thank you.
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