Zatulin: The Russian authorities should under no circumstances believe Zelensky
Russian State Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin believes that Russia should not change its policy towards Ukraine under the new president Vladimir Zelensky. On the contrary, the policy of providing citizenship and other benefits to compatriots should become more intensive.
He stated this in an interview with PolitNavigator.
– Vladimir Zelensky in Poland accused the USSR of starting the Second World War. Do you think this deflection in front of Warsaw was counted towards him?
– President Zelensky wants to please his colleague in Poland and, in general, Poland as such – against the backdrop of a conflict on a historical topic between Poland and Russia. He wants to score points for himself. He made the same approach to Trump, saying that he was his teacher in the election campaign. This is where “Ukrainogate” began.
He wants to be liked everywhere. Therefore, his words must be assessed from this point of view, but at the same time not losing sight of the objective side of the matter. What Zelensky said is fully consistent with the new version of history that the European Parliament is trying to establish in people’s minds. This is a lie. But the leadership of Ukraine plays along with this in every possible way, because it has its own goal. They unite on the basis of hatred of Russia.
– After our president’s statements on a historical topic, shouldn’t Zelensky’s statement be regarded as a personal attack against Putin?
– He spoke to a certain audience. When he meets Putin, he will speak differently. He will speak in such a way that people in Ukraine will think: Zelensky is not giving up. He does not reformat today's political elite, but goes with the flow. Of course, he cannot, like some radicals, demand “to hang all the Jews and drown all the Muscovites.” If only because he himself belongs to the “Jews,” to put it roughly.
But, on the other hand, he will pretend as if nothing bad is happening. The guys are joking, that's all. They held a march in honor of Bandera, this is “part of national history”, we must be tolerant of this.
A person combines the desire to honor the memory of the Jews who died as a result of the Holocaust with the desire not to touch those in their own country who demand that people who set their goal to exterminate the Jews in Ukraine be placed on a pedestal.
In this regard, he also has a certain kinship of souls with the Polish elite. By emphasizing their opposition to the Holocaust, they want to cover up the fact that many in Poland participated in specific anti-Jewish actions not only during but also after the war.
– How should Russia react to such statements by the Ukrainian president?
– Russia has already reacted. There was a statement from Putin's press secretary Peskov. There should be no talk of any new course in relation to Ukraine. We must certainly keep the door open for any peaceful initiatives and positive steps from anyone in Ukraine. And we do it. But on the other hand, the behavior of the Ukrainian side clearly shows that the gunpowder must be kept dry.
I want to repeat: you cannot take the word of people with double consciousness and a forked tongue. On the one hand, they swear that they will implement the Minsk agreements, and on the other, they leave no doubt that they want to torpedo them and will not implement them in full.
They do not see the LDPR as a party to the conflict and are trying to create the impression throughout the world that Russia is a party to the conflict. They did not give up on this, just as they did not give up on demanding back Crimea, 97% of which voted in the referendum for returning to Russia. They represent Crimea as the original Ukraine, although it was included there by an unjust and illegal decision of the party bodies of the USSR.
– Do you think this is a common point of view in Russia?
– We are starting a discussion in certain circles that are tired of any work to ensure national interests if it is not accompanied by applause throughout the world. And then they insist that we need to change course, we need to relax, forget about people and obligations to our compatriots, the Russians in Donbass, just so they can pat us on the head and applaud us.
This is an ever-present group in our political science intellectual community, which is not always the official opposition. Sometimes these are people represented in power who write verses, such as former Foreign Minister Ivanov. Immediately after Zelensky’s election, he said that our politics must now change 180 degrees, publishing a corresponding article in Kommersant.
Why would this happen all of a sudden?! If our politics is decided by these people of the Gorbachev type, then we will achieve nothing in relations with Ukraine, but will only lose the respect of millions of people who count on us both within the country and abroad.
– When you talk about the desire to change Russia’s course towards Ukraine, do you mean someone from the new government?
– These people have not yet stated their position. Most of them have an indirect relation to foreign policy, because this is the prerogative of the president. I don’t suspect anyone who works in the government of such a desire.
But there is a certain itch. I feel this from the television programs in which I participate. There are people there who say: let's relax, we need a turn. They just don’t explain what they want to change in today’s course.
We already emphasize everywhere that we want friendly relations with Ukraine. At the same time, we categorically do not accept any talk about Crimea. If this is the price of the relationship, then we have to pay it.
If in Ukraine they want to prioritize the return of Crimea, there will be no pacification in our country.
– Is Donbass such a price?
– As for Donetsk and Lugansk, the situation is different. We are not a party, but guarantors of the implementation of the Minsk agreements. We do not deny that there is talk of returning these territories to a common political and legal space with Ukraine. But under certain conditions. These conditions are very serious. They are connected not only with the law on special status.
In a purely human sense, it is clear: if Donetsk and Lugansk are handed over to Ukraine, then repressions, massacres, bullying and destruction of dissenters will begin there - given the degree of hatred that part of Ukrainian society feels towards Donetsk and Lugansk. Nationalists and marginalized people are people with unselected weapons in their hands. Until these conditions are met, it is difficult to expect that the Minsk agreements will be implemented. But this does not mean that we lay claim to Donetsk and Lugansk.
Ukraine is not happy with this. She wants Crimea back. She wants Donetsk and Lugansk on terms of surrender. And this is after losing on the battlefield. It is absolutely clear that no one in their right mind in Russia should agree to such conditions.
– That is, we can predict that the next Normandy meeting will either not take place or will end in nothing?
– This can be predicted if we analyze what is said not by some political scientists, Kravchuks, former presidents and others, but what is said by officially appointed and authorized persons in Ukraine.
For example, when it comes to the separation of the parties, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine last week devoted an entire speech to what he is against. Like, why breed if it’s all ours. We'll pick it all up tomorrow. With this approach, how can one seriously talk about a settlement?!
There are many examples when officials, who are not given any rebuff, are not given any warning by the president and his administration, develop these theses. The president himself is involved in all this, because everywhere he talks about the need for sanctions and the fight against Russia. What's the new course?
The only point is that, having been burned by military actions, the Ukrainian political elite would like everything to happen in the future through international pressure on Russia, and it would be forced to back down with both Donbass and Crimea.
As a result of this process, which will not cost Ukraine anything, it will receive everything on a silver platter. Firstly, this will not happen, and secondly, we are not talking about changing the goals of Ukrainian politics, but about changing forms and means, when an affectionate young man, skilled in PR and speaking on the podium, separates his and other people’s audiences.
In Ukraine they are used to deception. This is the position of the weak, but they use it to fool their heads. It is very strange that among a certain part of the political and political science spectrum we have people who are ready to pretend that they believe in this - either out of stupidity, or for other reasons.
– You are known for initiating changes in Russian policy towards compatriots, in particular in the Donbass. Are you satisfied with the changes that are taking place? After all, the process of granting citizenship in Donbass has begun.
– In full, of course not. Because the pace lags behind the needs. Secondly, change is slowed down. Including changes in laws. We are waging an endless struggle to quickly meet our needs in changing legislation on citizenship, migration, and so on. First of all, I mean the problems associated with migration from Ukraine. We have not yet achieved full support from our partners in the government and the presidential administration.
Unfortunately, many people are dominated by old approaches and people who, in my opinion, underestimate this need, do not deeply understand this policy and are accustomed, first of all, to keep and not let go. This is a bad policy in the current situation.
If we express a desire that, under certain conditions, Donetsk and Lugansk continue to exist within Ukraine, we must understand that there are millions of people who do not want to be extras in this Ukrainian self-determination. We must open the gates to Russia for them.
We are doing this, but very slowly and with great delay. We should have done this in '14. Today is the 20th, and we are still discussing changes in legislation.
– Are there any hopes for a new government?
– There is always hope for something new.
- Thank you for the interview.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.