“This (statement. - RT ) is absolutely true. Of course, the very background of the referendum, its conduct, the ideas that Ukrainian politicians, including Leonid Kravchuk, put into the referendum, implied that Ukrainian citizens vote for an independent Ukraine in alliance with Russia, ”the political scientist said.
He emphasized that Leonid Kravchuk manipulated the opinion of Ukrainians during the collapse of the USSR.
“Unfortunately, over the past time, Ukrainian elites have not found anything better than using the idea of a marginal part aimed at separating Ukraine from Russia to achieve their selfish political goals, and this has paid off ... I’m sure that the vast majority of Ukrainians are still stands for the normalization of relations with Russia, ”added Shapovalov.
Kravchuk previously said that in 1991, residents of Ukraine voted in a referendum for "independent Ukraine, but with Russia."