Senior advisor to President Putin admits: “It is possible that Ukraine will cease to exist in the coming year.”
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IMAGE: Russia’s Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev (Photo: US Dept. of Defense)
By Andrey Baranov
The change of power in the US promises to change the global world agenda in a big way. Some of President-elect Donald Trump’s high-profile foreign policy initiatives have turned out to be quite unexpected – and a cause for confusion, even among the most loyal American allies.
We talked to Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation and permanent member of the Security Council, about what Russia should expect from the new administration in Washington, and how to react to possible shifts in policy toward our country.
THE DEEP STATE IN THE U.S. IS STRONG
AB: Nikolai Platonovich, for many years you have been and continue to be closely involved in geopolitics and participate in decision-making in the sphere of international security. Doesn’t it seem to you that the world is now lying in wait for serious changes on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration?
NP: A significant part of the world is still looking at America. Meanwhile, the American elite itself is divided and does not have a unified idea of how exactly to build a policy both in the world, and at home.
Trump’s main slogan is that he supposedly has a plan to return the US to a pragmatic policy that would be beneficial to both the state and its citizens. How this will relate to the interests of other countries and peoples remains to be seen.
One way or another, today we are witnessing serious changes in the world. I mean not only the geopolitical situation, but also the state of affairs in the economy, technological sphere, social and cultural processes. The last time such tectonic shifts took place was after the collapse of the USSR. Back then, the West was unable to adapt to the new realities, and thus continued to live as it did during the Cold War, constantly looking for enemies.
AB: Trump’s daily statements cannot be called anything but revolutionary: dislike for everything the Biden administration did, declaration of radical new ideas….
NP: Biden’s presidency showed that the priorities of the White House and ordinary citizens differed significantly. The words familiar to every American since school textbooks that in America the people rule for the people and on behalf of the people are at odds with reality. Therefore, ordinary Americans will accept any ideas that can contribute to their well-being. They will welcome measures to support family values, improve health care, fight fires and illegal migration.
Of course, time will tell whether Trump will be able to realize his intentions in full. As his first term demonstrated, the notorious deep state in the US is very strong. It may not let him turn around. And the experience of the election campaign and the assassination attempt showed that one must be prepared for the most unthinkable scenarios.
It is clear that Trump’s positions are not shared by all elites in the United States. His views diverge significantly from the plans of the Democratic Party, individual owners of industrial giants and transnational corporations. Therefore, it is extremely important that the security of Trump and his entourage be ensured before he takes office as head of state, as well as during his presidency.
THE U.S. WILL PUSH HARD, BUT WILL NOT GO TO WAR
AB: Donald Trump has already outlined his interests in relation to Greenland, the Panama Canal, Mexico, Canada, and other states on different continents. Why, unlike Biden, does he not speak so often about the future of Ukraine?
NP: For the Biden administration, Ukraine was an absolute priority. It is clear that the relationship between Trump and Biden is antagonistic. Therefore, Ukraine will not be among Trump’s priorities. He is more concerned about China.
Besides, as you said, he has outlined his interests in relation to Greenland, the Panama Canal, Mexico, Canada. It is an American tradition to redraw the world map to suit its interests and interfere in the affairs of countries on different continents.
At the same time, talk that Trump will send armed forces to conquer new states for the US can hardly be called ‘grounded.’ Nevertheless, there is no doubt that on all these fronts the new administration will push its own interests very assertively.
As for the U.S. relations with China, I believe that Washington’s disagreements with Beijing will worsen, and the Americans will inflate them, including artificially. For us, China has been and remains our most important partner, with whom we have relations of especially privileged strategic cooperation. These relations are not subject to conjuncture, they are preserved regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
WE WILL NOT LET THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE BE OFFENDED
AB: Our interests are not limited to our partnership with China. We have to defend them (our interests) in other regions. What would you say about relations with the Baltic States and Moldova?
NP: The main priority for us is the protection and well-being of our citizens and compatriots around the world. If we talk about the international aspect – the discrimination against the Russian population in a number of countries, and of course in the Baltics and Moldova – must stop. The authorities of these states continue to lead themselves into the deepest crisis by ill-considered actions, and at the same time, stubbornly spinning the Russophobic wheel. Especially indicative is the energy crisis, the blame for which lies one hundred percent on the Moldovan authorities, obediently following the orders of Brussels to reduce gas dependence on Russia.
Therefore, Chișinău should not deceive neither itself, nor its people. The Moldovan authorities should not look for enemies inside the country or in Transnistria, but recognize their mistakes and start correcting the situation.
I do not exclude that aggressive anti-Russian policy of Chișinău will lead to the fact that Moldova will either become a part of another state or will cease to exist at all. In this situation, we can look at the example of Ukraine, where neo-Nazism and Russophobia led the country to collapse, long before the special military operation.
CEDING TERRITORIES IS NOT EVEN ON THE TABLE
AB: Representatives of the new US administration, in particular Trump-appointed advisers, in some of their speeches do recognize that Russia will under no circumstances cede to Ukraine or anyone else the territories that are already part of the Russian Federation….
NP: This is not even up for discussion. The territories that were once governed from Kyiv became part of Russia as a result of the will of the citizens in accordance with international law, the laws of the Russian Federation, and the legislation of these regions.
As for Russia’s line on Ukraine, it remains unchanged. It is important for us that the tasks of the SVO (SMO) are accomplished. They are known, and have not changed. They have been repeatedly named by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
It is also important that the world recognizes the incorporation into the Russian Federation of the DNR, LNR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, which are an integral part of our country in accordance with the Constitution.
I would like to emphasize once again, that the Ukrainian people remain close to us – fraternal and bound to Russia by centuries-old ties, no matter how much the propagandists in Kyiv who are obsessed with “Ukrainianism” claim otherwise. We are not indifferent to what is happening in Ukraine.
We are particularly concerned that the violent coercion of neo-Nazi ideology, along with ardent Russophobia, are destroying Ukraine’s once prosperous cities, including Kharkov, Odessa, Nikolaev, and Dnepropetrovsk.
It is not excluded that in the coming year, Ukraine will cease to exist at all.
If we talk about specific prospects for further developments, taking into account the Trump factor, we respect his statements. I believe that negotiations on Ukraine should be conducted between Russia and the United States without the participation of other Western countries.
There is nothing to talk about with London and Brussels. The EU leadership, for example, has long been barred from speaking for many of its members, such as Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Romania and some other European countries interested in stability in Europe and taking a more balanced position on Russia.
This article was translated into English. See the original Russian text at KP.RU
Listen to the Russian language audio interview here:
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