‘EU not committed to peace in Ukraine’

Gibson Nyikadzino-Zimpapers Politics Hub

AS Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of victory against Nazi German in the Great Patriotic War yesterday, it faces the threat of neo-Nazism from Ukraine, which enjoys political and military support of the European Union (EU) and other countries. Zimpapers Politics Hub’s Gibson Nyikadzino (GN) had an interview with Russia’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Nikolai Krasilnikov, (NK) on how the failure to eradicate Nazism after WWII created conditions for its resurgence. Ambassador Krasilnikov stressed the importance of his country’s victory over Nazism; the state of Russia-Ukraine conflict; negotiations with the US and the unwillingness of the EU to see peace exist between Russia and Ukraine. Below are the excerpts:

GN: What is the significance and relevance of this victory to the Russian people?

NK: The 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, which is a sacred day for the whole nation of Russia, is its significant contribution to shaping up the national identity, mentality and the character of the Russian people. The Great Patriotic War was a part of the Second World War. It started on June 22nd, 1941, when German troops crossed the border of the USSR and unleashed their aggression against the Soviet Union. Russia was the major force to unite former Soviet republics into the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, the USSR. It was the major force to propel the aggression of German Nazis out of the territory of the Soviet Union, and to crash the Nazis in their stronghold, the capital city of Berlin. So, the Germans surrendered to the allied forces and signed an act of capitulation on May 9, 1945.

The truth is that Russia took the major blow from the Nazis who represented the most powerful, well-organised and the most brutal war machines by that time, focused on defeating the Soviet Union. The task was to either exterminate the Soviet people or to make them slaves. It never happened. We defeated the Nazis. We made them surrender.

GN: After defeating the Germans, what was your next plan, or target?

NK: Three months after the victory in the Great Patriotic War in May, we declared war against the militarist regime in Japan. It was made in accordance with the agreements reached between the USSR, the United Kingdom, and the United States. So, together with the People’s Liberation Army of China, we crushed the resistance of the Japanese militaristic regime. And together with the Americans, we made them surrender. So, the victory in the Great Patriotic War facilitated dramatically the end of the Second World War.

GN: Back then, Russia and the US collaborated to defeat the Nazi ideology which was a common enemy. What has changed now, considering the emergence of neo-Nazi elements in Ukraine?

NK: During the Second World War, we were together, and the victory in the Great Patriotic War that my people achieved and gained was very much supported and assisted by the allied forces, particularly the US, and the UK. We received a lot of ammunition, technical support, food, intelligence. We were together, united against the common enemy, despite ideological, political contradictions and differences. As you know, soon after the victory in the Second World War, the so-called Cold War started, and you know, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there was another geopolitical reality emerging. The universal challenge is that the Nazism has not been eradicated once and for all. Like many people used to think after the war, the breeding ground for Nazism, neo-Nazism, for fascism, is still there.

Look, issues like racial discrimination, hatred, xenophobia, they are quite natural for human beings, despite the fact that we don’t like it, and sometimes we don’t recognise it, but they’re there. Another thing is that such sentiments, or even political manifestations of the sentiments, they’re being nurtured, and they’re being allowed to maintain and develop due to the consent of government offices.

In the case of Ukraine, for many years, neo-Nazi sentiments have been nurtured by the so-called European bureaucracy, both represented by the European Union (EU).

They try to convert Ukraine into a launchpad to unleash aggression against my country. The idea is the same, to achieve regime change in my country, so we can’t allow this to happen, and that’s why the Special Military Operation (SMO) was started in 2022.

GN: Talking about the SMO, the September 2022 referendum granted Russia territories from Ukraine. Are there going to be any changes regarding that? Was that strategic to deter NATO expansion to the east?

NK: The territories are strategic in terms of preventing Russian people from discrimination, from aggression, and from other forms of oppression that they used to experience in Ukraine under the current neo-Nazi regime. People there made the choice. They want to be part of Russia, and Russia accepted these regions. People live in there because we are the same entity. We speak the same language. We have the same Russian Orthodox Church, and they are integral parts of Russia. There is no issue of reversing such a development.

GN: And these are the same people who in 2014 overwhelmingly voted for independence from Ukraine?

NK: Yes, they wanted to be separate from Ukraine because Ukrainian neo-Nazis tried to suppress the national identity of these people. It was quite national. They wanted to separate themselves from Ukraine to protect their cultural, national identity. But most importantly, they wanted to have nothing to do with the neo-Nazi policy of that regime in Kyiv. One of the goals of the SMO is to eradicate a ground for revival of neo-Nazis in Ukraine and to make it impossible for that country to be used as a launch pad for aggression under the neo-Nazi ideology towards Russia or towards other territories.

GN: Since President Trump’s White House return, there are direct talks between Russia and the US to end the confrontation. How important is this to Russia and Ukraine?

NK: We acknowledge the change of trend from the American side in terms of handling the issues around the Ukrainian conflict. We’re very much glad to observe that the current American administration demonstrates common sense and willingness to cooperate and to achieve a long-standing settlement and a solution of this conflict that was unleashed by the reckless policy of the previous administration, by the aggressive political aspirations demonstrated by the so-called civilised European bureaucracy. We’ll see how far it will take us. Russia is ready to start direct talks, direct negotiations with the Ukrainians.

GN: What is stopping negotiations with Ukraine?

NK: The problem is that the opposite side doesn’t want it because they have enforced their law adopted in 2022 prohibiting Ukrainian officials from talking to Russian officials. So, according to their legislation, they can’t be negotiating.

GN: EU President Ursula von der Leyen, has been saying any negotiation should strengthen the position of Ukraine. Do you see the EU as committed to peace?

NK:: Well, we don’t see that the EU as committed to achieving peace in this context because they keep on supplying Ukraine with arms and munition.

GN: Lastly, President Mnangagwa is attending the Victory Day parade. What does that mean to the historical relations between Zimbabwe and Russia, at a time when the world is experiencing massive geopolitical movements?

NK: Well, the fact that His Excellency, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Comrade Dr ED Mnangagwa will be on the Red Square together with President Putin at a very special particular day for Russia emphasises the close, very special relations between our countries.

It demonstrates the common aspirations of Russia and Zimbabwe to move forward together with the like-minded countries from Africa and  from the Global South towards establishment of a more just, democratic, multi-polar world order for the benefit of everyone.