''Brussels and Washington will support rivals groups in Ukraine''
What does 2018 prepares for Ukraine and its citizens? Ivan Mezyukho’s column for Realnoe Vremya
In 2018, the Russian-Ukrainian relations will aggravate only, thinks Crimean political expert and columnist of Realnoe Vremya Ivan Mezyukho. In an op-ed column written for our online newspaper, the expert is analysing the events that have taken place in Ukraine in the last years and making a forecast for the nearest future. The political expert sees the present of the Russian neighbour when ''the former Georgian president runs in the street'' as well as the future joyless.
Devastation in heads
After the coup d'état in Ukraine, its citizens had a new life. A period of big human losses as a consequence of punitive operations of the new Ukrainian power in Donbass began. The years after Euromaidan will also be remembered for the rapid impoverishment of the Ukrainians, the next waste of the Ukrainian economy, fake fight against corruption, political persecutions of all unwelcomed people by Petro Poroshenko's current regime.
I would additionally characterise the 2014-2017 for Ukraine as time of mass zombification of the Ukrainian people through the local mass media. Unfortunately, the politically active minority in Ukraine has increased more than it was before, it is anti-Russian. The true devastation is in heads in the Ukrainian society.
Looking through the record of a Ukrainian political programme dedicated to the results in 2017 these days on the Internet, I made sure once again it's impossible to speak about any recovery of the Ukrainian society in the short run. I made an effort and completely watched almost this one-hour Russophobic programme. Making conclusions to the outgoing year, the Ukrainian experts weren't speaking about their country but Russia, about the upcoming presidential elections in our country and just a bit, slightly mentioned the topic of reforms in Ukraine, the half-visa-free regime with the EU, problems of corruption and the political crisis in their country.
''In late 2017, Kharkiv Municipal Council deputy Andrey Lesik who supports fraternal relations between the Russians and Ukrainians was accused of urging to create the Odessa People's Republic.'' Photo: kharkov.ua
Fight against sound mind
Of course, Ukraine also has sensible politicians who don't live according to the instantaneous political situation. Those who publicly support good neighbourly relations with Russia have a very unenviable fate in Ukraine. They bring them to trials, interfere in personal life, cover with information mud, torture in the Security Service of Ukraine basement, nick business and put in jail.
For instance, in late 2017, Kharkiv Municipal Council deputy Andrey Lesik who supports fraternal relations between the Russians and Ukrainians was accused of urging to create Odessa People's Republic. He was arrested and beaten, so now he is brought to political kangaroo courts in a cage. I know Andrey personally and can say he had a chance to give up all his social activity and leave Ukraine much time before being arrested. Of course, he understood the political harassment that has broken out towards him in the last years could reach the stage of not the first battery, trials and accusations of separatism. But he didn't give up. He loves his country and didn't leave his Ukraine. He told me so that he would not leave his homeland and would fight till the end, till victory. Now Andrey is in prison, while the local Ukrainian media are holding their tongues and don't notice the political punishment that was initiated by the current power regime in Ukraine against the Kharkiv politician.
I hope very much that Andrey Lesik will go out of jail in 2018. The kangaroo court against him is designed to frighten all Ukrainian politicians who support good neighbourly relations with Russia. The Ukrainian power fights against sound mind and continues to boldly make a fool of its population.
''Ukrainian power interferes in blood relations between our peoples. It should be said certain part of the Ukrainian society has already refused of its relatives and friends in Russia.'' Photo: novosti-krim.ru
About Russian-Ukrainian relations
It's clear that the Russian-Ukrainian relations will be much more complicated in 2018. Kyiv does its best for it. The recent reinforcement of the borderline control in Ukraine has changed only against citizens of the Russian Federation. Though the Russians had been having difficulties without biometric control while visiting this country a long time ago. Russians go to Ukraine mainly to visit their relatives. Ukrainian power interferes in blood relations between our peoples. It should be said a certain part of the Ukrainian society has already refused its relatives and friends in Russia. When will all this nightmare in Ukraine end? No political expert will say that for sure.
Ukraine starts 2018 as a public organisation in whose streets the former Georgian president runs and urges impeachments of the current Ukrainian president. The decision made by the USA to supply weapon to Ukraine will just aggravate the situation in Donbass. New political cataclysms, corruption scandals and social upheavals will hit the country. The upcoming year will be uneasy for the Ukrainian people and complicated for Ukrainian politicians. It's obvious the European Union and the USA have different visions on solving the Ukrainian problem. We will witness further how. Ordinary Ukrainians will suffer from it. However, as usual…