The format of the direct line was slightly modified this year in connection with the events in Ukraine.
Usually, the head of state focuses on the country's internal problems, which worry most of the citizens; the foreign policy aspect is quite deliberately labeled as secondary.
This time, the Ukrainian topic surfaced almost at the very beginning, and Vladimir Putin analyzed it in detail.
In fact, he passed a verdict on the Ukrainian authorities, accusing them of making criminal decisions and committing criminal acts up to the murder of their own opponents “in the streets”. Correct me if I am wrong, but the head of the Russian state has not yet spoken out so harshly on Ukrainian issues. He did not try, as had happened before, to adjust his assessments towards softening them in order to preserve the bargaining power. Moreover, when asked whether he would meet with Vladimir Zelensky, he unequivocally answered that so far such a meeting is not possible.
So, what are the main claims of the Russian president to the Ukrainian leadership? The main one is discrimination against Russians in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin repeated the thesis that Russians and Ukrainians are one people, "a single whole", which has already been repeatedly heard from his lips. Fragmentation, however, "relaxes the ethnos." This, in all likelihood, should mean that the Ukrainian government is doing exactly this - fragmentation. Russians have always wanted to split, this is a tradition that goes far into history: first Poland, then Austria-Hungary, “the Bolsheviks made their contribution,” now Ukraine has taken over the baton.
But in everything that happens there is no fault of the Ukrainians, they are not "unfriendly people" in relation to Russia. The leadership, yes, is implementing the most hostile policy in bilateral relations between our countries. A striking example is a bill submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, according to which Russians are not an indigenous people. The President of Russia considers this to be a direct distortion of historical facts: “Well, this is simply incomprehensible to the mind. This, you know ... from time immemorial Russian people lived here, and now they are declared non-indigenous there ... Some people may leave or will be forced to correspond in order not to feel like second-class people. " “Corresponding” means changing your ethnic status, becoming Ukrainians according to your passport. Vladimir Putin actually compared such actions to a war crime:"This is comparable in its negative consequences with the use of some kind of weapons of mass destruction." He concluded this passage by mentioning that the Russian language is being aggressively displaced "from practical, real life."
Destructive work is carried out by "narrow-minded people and extreme nationalists", this also applies to the suppression of the opposition in Ukraine by a variety of methods: not only political and linguistic restrictions are in effect, people are thrown behind bars or simply killed.
The Ukrainian government implements such a political course in such a way that "there is no legal opportunity for those forces that want to build and strengthen their country, including on the path of building normal relations with Russia, they have no chance."
The Russian leader also commented on the incident with the British destroyer.
According to him, it was a "complex" provocation of the British and Americans.
As the vessel entered Russian territorial waters, a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft invaded Russian airspace, tracking the course of events. Putin is not worried "that someone does not respect the choice of the Crimeans to join Russia." This is an old story. He is concerned about what he called the “military development” of Ukraine: “According to the Constitution of Ukraine, there can be no foreign military bases there. You can create training centers, use other forms ... The military development of the territory that directly borders us - this creates significant security problems for us. This concerns the real vital interests of the Russian Federation and the people of Russia ”.
The West continues to exacerbate the situation. The Russian president said that he had instructed the Ministry of Defense to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border to relieve unnecessary tension. Instead of taking the same steps, "they are pressed against our borders."
As for possible negotiations with the President of Ukraine, the head of the Russian state explained why he does not see any point in them: “Well, what about meeting with Zelensky if he gave his country under full external control? The key issues of the life of Ukraine are decided not in Kiev, but in Washington, partly in Berlin and Paris. Well, what to talk about? " Nevertheless, he does not completely reject the likelihood of a meeting in principle. But, presumably, in order for it to take place, all the problems listed by the Russian leader must be removed. Such a prospect - at least for the moment - does not seem very realistic.
So, the Ukrainian topic is important for the President of the Russian Federation, but this time he very harshly and unambiguously expressed his attitude to a number of features of the political life of Ukraine.
His words were addressed not only to the authorities in Kiev, but also to "our Western partners" who continue to use Ukraine as a tool against Russia.
I think that the tone of the statements made leaves no doubt that Russia does not intend to put up with the existing order of things.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.