The Russian side cannot react indifferently to the actions of the Ukrainian authorities in terms of the aggressive language and ethnic policy that Kiev has been pursuing in recent years.
Moreover, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, attempts to divide the population of a country into "indigenous" and "non-indigenous" peoples are reminiscent of the ideas of Nazi Germany.
This opinion was expressed by the head of state in an interview with the host of the program “Moscow.
Kremlin.
Putin ”to Pavel Zarubin on the Russia 1 TV channel, commenting on the draft law“ On the indigenous peoples of Ukraine ”introduced to the Verkhovna Rada by Volodymyr Zelensky.
Let us recall that this document defines as "indigenous peoples" of the country only the Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krymchaks.
"The very division into indigenous, first-class categories of people, second-class, and so on - it definitely looks like it, resembles the theory and practice of Nazi Germany," the Russian leader emphasized.
He drew attention to the fact that one of the articles of the Ukrainian bill spells out the unacceptability of discrimination against "indigenous peoples".
In this regard, Putin noted: according to the general legal rule "Everything that is not prohibited is allowed", proceeding from the logic of this law, it turns out that "non-indigenous peoples", including Russians, may be discriminated against.
The President stated that no one wants to face discrimination on linguistic and other principles.
In this regard, the implementation of such a legislative initiative will lead to the fact that hundreds of thousands or even millions of Ukrainian citizens who identify themselves as Russians will be forced to either leave, “not wanting to be second-class people,” or “they will start rewriting themselves somehow according to - to another, ”the head of state explained.
“This is a powerful, very serious blow to the Russian people as a whole.
And, of course, this cannot be indifferent to us, ”Putin said.
During the interview, he recalled that Ukraine as a state was "a product of the Soviet period" when it became one of the union republics.
At the same time, the process of direct reunification of these territories with the Russian state began in 1654, and then the people living in these regions considered and called themselves Russians and Orthodox, Putin stressed.
Information about this is recorded in the documents.
“It is an obvious fact that the people who came with these territories to the Russian state called themselves Russians.
Therefore, to speak of Russians as a non-indigenous people is not just incorrect, it is ridiculous and stupid, ”the president said.
Also on russian.rt.com The Federation Council announced the anti-Russian nature of the Ukrainian law on indigenous peoples
On security issues and red lines
Speaking about the process of NATO enlargement and bringing the alliance's infrastructure closer to the Russian borders, the President called these aspects extremely important for the security of Russia and the country's citizens.
He recalled that two waves of expansion of the military bloc to the east fell on a period when Moscow's relations with the collective West were "even, quite acceptable, if not partnership in the good sense of the word."
“All our so-called concerns were simply ignored, and all preliminary agreements (though they were oral) ... were consigned to oblivion.
I don’t want to use any harsh words, but they just didn’t care about our interests, and that’s all, ”Putin said, explaining that the West puts its geopolitical interests above the interests of other countries and peoples.
The head of state stressed that NATO's eastward expansion is of practical importance for Russia, since after Poland and Romania joined the alliance, the United States "easily agreed" to deploy missile defense systems there.
However, the launchers of these complexes can also be used for strike complexes, which will reach the central part of Russia in 15 minutes.
“Let's imagine that Ukraine becomes a NATO member.
The flight time from Kharkov, say, and from, I don’t know, Dnepropetrovsk to the central part of Russia, to Moscow, will decrease to 7-10 minutes.
Is this a red line for us or not? ”Putin said.
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As a visual analogy, he cited the example of the deployment of missiles in Cuba, from where the flight time to the central industrial region of the United States and Washington is 15 minutes, and in order for this interval to be reduced to 7-10 minutes, it would be necessary to place missiles on the northern border of Mexico or on the southern border of Canada.
"This is a red line for the United States or not ... Someone should think about it at all: about how we should react to what is essentially proposed and discussed (on the issue of NATO expansion. -
RT
)," the Russian leader added ...
On the geopolitical interests of the West and attitudes towards Russia
During the interview, Vladimir Putin also commented on the conversation between Zelensky and American leader Joe Biden, during which the parties discussed Ukraine's possible NATO membership.
We will remind, in the statement of the Ukrainian side on this occasion, it was initially said that Biden allegedly stressed the importance of providing Kiev with an action plan for joining the alliance, but the White House said that the US President did not say such words.
“I see the comments of our observers, the reaction of our media, our politicians.
Everyone laughs a little at Zelensky and says that all this is chatter, nothing will happen here ... I have a different opinion, "Putin said, admitting that the US authorities could indicate such a position so as not to spoil the situation before the Russian-American summit in Geneva.
Reuters
© Gleb Garanich
“But in fact, one can imagine that the plan of Ukraine's entry into NATO is being discussed.
Anyway, nobody says no.
And in my previous conversations on this score with former American leaders, I have heard more than once: "NATO is an open organization."
First.
And the second thesis: "Every state, every nation has the right to choose how it considers it necessary to ensure its security."
This has been said to me more than once, ”the president said.
According to Putin, there are formal restrictions on Ukraine's accession to NATO, but there are no guarantees on this issue: “What they talked about among themselves, what they agreed on, we do not know ... We must keep this in mind and build accordingly their relations in the field of security with our partners. "
The Russian leader also stressed that at least half of Ukraine's citizens, according to open data, do not want the country to join NATO.
According to him, these are smart people who do not want to be "a bargaining chip and cannon fodder."
“I speak without any irony.
Not because others are stupid.
But because those who do not want to understand that they do not want to be in the line of fire ... Among other things, these people, apparently, feel themselves part of our common civilization, and do not want one part of this civilization opposed another part of civilization, and at the same time performed some kind of dance to someone else's music, ”he concluded.