'The criminal offender Putin was born from the politics of the West. Those like Merkel,' said the third president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, during a meeting with journalists held at his artistic complex 'Code of Nation' in Novyi Bezradichi near Kyiv. This was reported by 'Glavkom.'
According to Yushchenko, EU leaders have understood for decades the potential threats, including in the field of energy security, posed by the Putin regime, but ignored them.
'Ukraine paid $480 for gas (dollars per 1,000 m3 - 'Glavkom'), Germany paid $175. Berlin told us: 'This is the market, and what can you do about it.' I had conversations about this with Merkel (Chancellor of Germany from 2005-2021 - 'Glavkom'), Sarkozy (President of France from 2007-2012), and Berlusconi (Prime Minister of Italy in various periods from 1994 to 2011). We talked about energy threats, about how Europe lost its subject security policy. For about 15 years, Europe paid $1 billion for energy resources daily. Daily!
- Yushchenko recalled.According to the ex-president, from 2005 to 2010, Kyiv suggested European partners improve the mechanism for supplying energy resources from Russia to EU countries. 'We talked about why the largest gas system - Ukrainian - is not part of the wholesale market in Europe. Should it only be a supplier? This is Ukraine's function, which has 35,000 km of main oil and gas pipelines for Europe. It was suggested to sit down and develop shorter, clearer, and more beneficial rules so that Russia sold its gas to Europe at the Mikhailivske farm, not at our western border,' recalls the third president of Ukraine. He adds that discussions about this with EU leaders occurred constantly, including about the potential security threat posed by Putin's Russia.
Yushchenko recalled how, at the NATO summit in Bucharest in April 2008, Ukraine was even denied joining the Membership Action Plan, and this decision, the politician believes, was significantly influenced by Moscow.
'At the Bucharest NATO summit, an absolutely empty resolution was adopted,' the ex-president states. 'I approached Merkel, and about 12 presidents were with me: why such an attitude toward the agenda, why was Ukraine treated this way? Merkel said to me: 'Viktor, if there had been greater support (for the country's course towards NATO membership among the population - 'Glavkom'), and not 31%.' She claimed it was bad sociology. When I took office, only 7% of Ukrainians supported joining NATO. In three years, our support increased to 31%, and I believe this was a significant national awakening. Spain's NATO membership was supported by 17% of the population, yet they became NATO members (in 1982 - 'Glavkom'). We have 31% - and they didn't even give us the MAP. What kind of eye was on Moscow!
At the same time, Yushchenko notes that in recent months, rhetoric in Europe has intensified, from which one can conclude that partners have realized: Ukraine's security is Europe's security. According to the third president, Ukraine will soon become a key player in the security policy of Europe, which is currently being built. 'Because putinism is fascism plus nuclear weapons. This is a phenomenon the world has not yet faced. There will be no peace with Putin - that is for sure. And in Europe, they are beginning to understand this.'
All armed conflicts in the post-Soviet space were provoked by Russia, and none of those 'frozen conflicts' had a diplomatic resolution, the ex-president noted. As an example, he cited the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which lasted 31 years, 'and diplomats got confused about which round of negotiations it was and what they are discussing today; like our rounds of negotiations in the Minsk format.'
The problem of Nagorno-Karabakh was resolved by military means, as Russia, focused on the war in Ukraine, did not find the resources to counter Azerbaijan.
'Recently, Ilham Aliyev (President of Azerbaijan - 'Glavkom') made statements that were applauded by the entire Caucasus, and the whole European community: he distances himself from Russia... We live in a very strange time - look how national sentiments have changed. This is a political modernization that Ukraine has brought about by absorbing the lion's share of Putin's Russia's strength,' concluded Viktor Yushchenko.