Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to cancel the assault on the Azovstal dungeons and block the encircled militants so that "the fly does not fly."
Indeed, the Ukrainian warriors no longer pose any real threat to the inhabitants of Mariupol, and there is not the slightest sense in risking the lives of our military in order to put a formal check mark - Azovstal has been taken.
This, in fact, is what distinguishes the logic of our country and our army from the logic of Kyiv and those who stand behind it: they need a beautiful “picture”, sentimental stories and other cinematic special effects.
And we have real politics and the hard work of denazification and demilitarization.
Not for special effects.
The main thing is to save people, our soldiers and civilians, and, as we remember very well, in the first days of the special operation, our people tried to save the lives of the Ukrainian military, without striking at accumulations of manpower.
But the enemy did not appreciate these attempts.
The exchange of prisoners of war is an important humanitarian task.
When Kyiv tried to exchange Ukrainian citizens for Ukrainian citizens during the war in Donbass, it looked logical – on both sides, the majority were holders of passports from this country.
But now the situation has changed, Russia is conducting a special operation.
Therefore, when we are offered to replace the Ukrainian politician Medvedchuk with the Ukrainian military, it looks extremely strange.
Let them give up our soldiers.
It has long been no secret to anyone that a large number of foreign mercenaries are hiding in Azovstal.
Two Britons have already been taken prisoner, and they are ready to be exchanged for the same Medvedchuk.
That's just the "picture" in this case will be wrong, from the point of view of both London and Kiev directors.
Therefore, Zelensky ignored this proposal altogether: what, mercenaries are not citizens of Ukraine, why should the Ukrainian president pay attention to their words?
And British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in turn, called on the Russian authorities to "show mercy" to the captured prisoners.
I note that not a single case of violation of the rules for the treatment of prisoners on our part has been recorded.
What is happening on the other side is known, there is no question of any mercy and even the simple observance of international agreements signed by Ukraine on the treatment of prisoners of war.
But Johnson and his other colleagues ignore this.
How they ignore, by the way, more and more facts of the use of prohibited weapons by Kyiv and the taking of hostages from among its own citizens.
In this situation, Viktor Medvedchuk and residents of the cities of Donbass that have not yet been liberated find themselves in the same position of hostages.
Any other regime in any other country would have long been recognized as terrorist for this, but here it is “another matter, one must understand.”
Vladimir Putin's order to cancel the assault on the Azovstal undergrounds is, of course, a merciful decision in relation to everyone who is now hiding in this enterprise.
But for Kiev, of course, it would be beneficial if all the secrets of the mercenaries remained in the basements.
Another "sacred victim", another "heroes" and "cyborgs" to whom you can set up a memorial, make a film about them, write a book, and so on - in the best traditions of Hollywood.
I just can’t understand one thing: aren’t the people of Ukraine tired of this imaginary reality, which instead of a series of fictitious “victories” and an unattainable European standard of living turned into quite real hostilities?
Do they really not understand that it is impossible to live in virtuality for years?
Do they really not see that their army is suffering huge losses, and the only thing that can stop the war is not yet another supply of obsolete weapons from Europe, but honest and responsible peace negotiations, from which Kyiv has been dodging for almost two months?
Do they really not understand that they need now not to repeat obscene propaganda chants after their politicians, but to go to the same “Maidan” and demand from their own leadership the immediate start of real peace negotiations?
It looks like they still don't understand.
But Boris Johnson understands everything perfectly.
On the one hand, he calls for mercy, and on the other hand, he says that nothing can be solved by peaceful negotiations, and Kiev must fight to the last Ukrainian.
Well.
Mariupol is taken, Azovstal is blocked, the special operation is going according to plan.
We treat British prisoners mercifully with us, and will treat the hundreds and thousands of new prisoners that will inevitably appear in the same way.
But if Western politicians were really merciful, they would not have started to stuff Ukraine with weapons from the very beginning.
And I really hope that sooner or later the people of Ukraine will understand this.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.