The Russian oppositionist reveals where the sympathy of Donald Trump to Putin

Jakub Szczepański, Interia: How do the Russians receive the phrase of Donald Trump in politics towards Ukraine?

Vladimir Ponomariow, Russian oppositionist and Former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Construction of the FR in the rule of Putin and Mikhail Kasjanów: – From the beginning it was clear to me that Donald Trump was the most convenient president of the United States for Vladimir Putin. They both do not share universal values ​​on which Euro -Atlantic civilization is based. In their opinion, no one has the right to question their decisions, they have undivided power. Putin has an indefinite time, Trump – for at least two years. They are guided only by their own or nationalist interests. In addition, Trump focuses on Chinese, not European.

– China is considered by the Americans a potentially equivalent player, because Russia has less economic potential. The Kremlin is less worth for Washington, maybe except for natural resources and nuclear weapons, and as a partner for balance with China, because the triangle is a rigid construction. Thirdly, Donald Trump, unlike Joe Biden, never committed himself in any way in relation to Ukraine. He never said that his goal was to fight Putin's regime.

Is it enough to leave Ukraine without American help?

– Trump puts internal matters first, because the American economy is currently not developing dynamically due to the errors of its predecessors. They focused on the development of American enterprises in Asia, which enriched corporations, stimulated Business AS Usal, but at the expense of their own citizens. Hence the favor for Vladimir Putin and Russian elites, their national egoism.

The favor of the President of the United States for Moscow can be seen with the naked eye?

– After the first telephone conversation of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the stock exchange of Russian companies launched. There is also a change in the rhetoric of the regime. In their speeches Sergei Lavrov and other Russian dignitaries loudly articulate their dissatisfaction with the policy of the European Union, and praise the American administration. On the other hand, Russia stood a catalyst for changes in the perception of statehood around the world. Thinking above all about your own particular interests can be seen in different countries, also in the West, which can raise serious concerns.

What should we be afraid of?

– Once again, we can deal with the bipolarity of the world. After conferences from 1945 in Yalta and Potsdam, on one side we had countries built on the principles of freedom understood as Immanuel Kant formulated it. After the second totalitarian regimes, allies of the Soviet Union.

After the first telephone conversation of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the stock exchange of Russian companies launched. There is also a change in the rhetoric of the regime

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What would it look like today?

– Both China, Russia and the United States profess the same philosophy based on the nationalist interest of the state. A similar polarization can also be seen in some politicians in France, in the Germans, I am not talking about the Proputin regimes of Slovakia and Hungary. You have to understand this danger and then find a solution to the problem.

Until now, the United States, Russia and China seemed to be the countries that compete with each other. How would they get along?

– Let's look at the Arctic: Russia needs allies to develop the region and its resources. In the Far East it is China, in the west Greenland, which the United States looks at with lust. Let's consider that the most natural resources are currently in the north of Russia. This may be the basis for the economic cooperation of three powers.

How will the rapprochement of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin affect Europe? Will it not be an invitation to attack even on the Baltic States?

– Putin has already entered the war path, Trump does not think in these categories. When I talk about the similarities between them, I mean the professed philosophy. The Russian president is a criminal, he has already started the war. The most dangerous is if he wins the war with Ukraine. If this happens, his rush to fight will not decrease. In this case, countries bordering Russia, also Poland, should feel threatened. It may not happen very quickly, but there is no doubt that it will be so.

Why are you so sure?

– Americans are hesitating, they don't quite know what to do. Moscow produces much more weapons than NATO, the army is mobilized, in much greater number than the West. If we let Putin go further, Europe will be threatened. I am nearly 80 years old, I could say that I do not care because I will not wait the Russian army on the border with Poland. I only have children and grandchildren. I don't want to leave them in a world full of anxiety.

Let's assume that Ukraine will give its territory, Donald Trump will use the country's mineral resources. Will it change something?

– As for a contract regarding Ukrainian resources, I am skeptical. I know how many Ukraine has. They are also on territories conquered by Russia. Donald Trump talks about $ 300 billion that his country could earn. In fact, even $ 100 billion is too much. However, it is true that the proposal of the American-Ukrainian agreement gives some informal guarantees of security of Ukraine, because the Russians will not occur against the United States.

Territorial gains in Ukraine will stop Russian imperialism?

– Only the active policy, which is now presented by Poland, Great Britain or France can change the situation. The most important problem is not to stop the war for a short while, but permanently. That is why Vladimir Putin cannot be won.

What is the victory of Moscow in the war with Ukraine in your opinion?

– For the regime, the most important thing is that society and Russian elites have a feeling of victory in the war. If the Russians receive the end of the conflict or his freezing as a failure, Vladimir Putin lost. That is why peace negotiations between the United States, Europe, Ukraine and Russia must be very precise. The Kremlin cannot be too privileged. Personally, however, I think that only Moscow's failure can guarantee a durable room on the globe.

Doesn't it look like – especially in the context of Donald Trump's actions – Russia was supposed to lose this war?

– Each move has specific effects. Even in 2014, you had to think what to do. But we made so many mistakes. Since this has not been done, we must think about the supply of weapons in such quantities that exceed the production capabilities of Europe today – this is the price of an error. The Western world has never had any strategy to fight Russia. Vladimir Putin should feel that what he did is evil.

– They are planned badly. Putin earned money, almost without restrictions, he traded oil with such countries as China or India. You can see that help for Ukraine was too small: it allowed not to lose, but did not allow victory. What we are talking about today is a long -term effect of activities since 2014, when Russia provoked a rebellion in Donbas and annexed Crimea.

Do you think that Ukraine is already lost?

– Fortunately, Europe is starting to wake up. I listened to the speech on Wednesday Donald Tusk. I see a balanced but hard position of Poland to consolidate all Western countries to fight. You can also see that Wołodymyr Zelanski He started looking for a compromise in conversations with Donald Trump. Politicians begin to think about the future, instead of focusing on the past. The situation is very tense, but not tragic. A bit like a Caribbean crisis.

How a secret arrangement of medium -range ballistic shells in Cuba, which directly threatened the USA in 1962, is in the current situation in Ukraine?

– I was 16 at the time, I remember with what more information on this topic was listened to my parents. The world has already survived more than one situation when everything was on the edge of the disaster. I believe that self -preservation instinct will work for politicians. Not only Western, but Russian.