- The world's began resolving the Ukrainian issue without Ukraine's involvement. Trump met with the OSCE ambassador in the US to discuss the Ukrainian crisis and the steps to resolve it. In addition, at Putin's meeting with Macron, the war in Donbas was one of the key discussion subjects. We've been closely following it. Their closed-door meeting was longer than three hours. After that, a post in Russian appeared on the Facebook (запрещена в РФ) page of the French president:
"Russia is a deeply European country. We believe in Europe stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok. There's been obvious progress on many political and economic matters. We're making efforts to develop the French-Russian relations. I'm convinced that during this multilateral overhaul, we need to develop the architecture of security and trust between the EU and Russia".
- That sounds pretty nice. It inspires optimism. But there's a country where it's caused an outrage. They've even proposed to add Macron to the Myrotvorets database. Let's hear it. No Ukraine in Ukraine-related negotiations.
Akhtem Chiigoz, senator: "That's disturbing. We must unite and ask them about their impudent statements. Macron must understand that cooperating within the EU framework with Russia in its current form means dooming not just Ukraine but other neighboring countries as well. Regarding the fact that they were discussing us without us present there, it's an alarming signal. I'd like to know what kind of hope did our president inspire in Putin?"
- Bearing in mind the current commercial dependence of France and Germany from Russia and its energy resources. It looks like Ukraine is fighting three adversaries. We need to cooperate with the Anglo-Saxon countries whose position is tougher and more fundamental.
- First, we must do everything that depends on us to contain the Russian aggression on a decent level using new sanctions. We must avoid weakening the positions of our country at any cost. We need to wear Russia out with sanctions so that it stops its aggression and leaves our territory.
- I'm sorry but that's nonsense. And you've been broadcasting it for 24 hours. The internet is full of similar messages. There's one message... Macron was talking about "Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok," as we used to call it. And here's the response. You'll have Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok only when Vladivostok becomes a Ukrainian city. Only when we remember the Ukrainian Far-Eastern Republic. When the republics of the Ukrainian Zeleny Klin rise up. That's Yuri Gudymenko. You politicians are ignorant.
- He's not a politician.
-They're outrageously ignorant. You know what their organization was doing in 1917-1918? Know what they were doing? They were begging the Russian Empire, or rather the Temporary Government at that time, to establish a Ukrainianship Ministry within the government. That's it. Those were the demands of that pro-Ukrainian organization. There was no Ukrainian Far-Eastern Republic. There was a man in the Far East, you'd call him an activist now, his name was Mova. I know it pretty well because that's my home region. He wanted to create the Ukrainian Far-Eastern Republic but realized Russia was pretty fine and changed his mind. Please.
Vladimir Kornilov, political analyst: The most astonishing part is that for so long, they've been talking about exerting pressure through the Normandy format. Zelensky's met with Macron several times, both as presidential candidate and elected president. And then, Putin meets with Macron. There have been calls for the restoration of the Normandy format. They discuss the idea of the Normandy format, including its extended model, and Ukraine begins panicking because it doesn't take part in the discussion. You know, I personally support... I don't oppose the idea of inviting the United States to the Normandy format. He also wanted to get Theresa May there but seems to have changed his mind. But she can join as a volunteer advisor. Right, she can be a secretary there. But then, why do they need Ukraine there? Right now, we have representatives of the US and Ukraine there. Remember when they were signing the agreement during the negotiations in Minsk, Poroshenko was excusing himself every couple of minutes and coordinating his strategy with somebody. If a US representative had been there back then, it could've gone faster. But then, once again, the issue must be discussed either with both Ukraine and Donbas present or without Ukraine.
- Why did Macron's words caused such a reaction in your country? One of the key European leaders has made an extremely optimistic statement in Russian. Why are you so mad?
Vadim Tryukhan, social activist (Ukraine): There are various sentiments in Ukraine. There are people who were harmed by the war, suffered from the war. That's clear. But why is it happening? I see three reasons, three key reasons. I mentioned it when we were talking about how to return the Russian delegation to PARE.
- It's PACE.
- Right, it's PACE in English. From the policy of counteracting or isolating Russia, Europe decided to switch to the policy of involving Russia in serious infrastructure projects.
- Perhaps it was Russia's decision to involve Europe. Why not?
- Next, it's about political projects. It's a renaissance-like period, projects like "Lisbon-Vladivostok" get resumed That's significant. There are three reasons for that. Why does Europe agree to that? First, the fight for resources and markets. There are three major political competitors, the US, China, and the European Union. The second reason is that Europe is terrified of a major war in Europe. They still vividly remember the horrors of the world war, even though it's been more than 70 years.
- Oh, so non-Europeans aren't afraid of a war in Europe?
- Everyone's afraid.
- Europe's terrified though. All reasonable people are.
- The leadership in Europe is getting weaker. The people in power now...
- What's that? Sorry Macron, you're not Chirac. You're not like Chirac at all. And definitely like de Gaulle.
- They've lost memory. They've forgotten that period of our history, when Europe had...
- Mr. Nadezhdin was just talking about European leaders getting weak. You must first take a look at the mirror.
- We draw two conclusions from that story. The first one... Macron speaks decent Russian. That's our first conclusion. A Ukrainian talk show. In fact, our first conclusion is that they and you have both got nervous. You realize that you won't be able to constantly complain about the Russian threat. Everyone's fed up with it.
- Did it go away?
- It's nonexistent.
- We threaten no one, we're a peaceful country. Just don't provoke us.
- You're now in a panic because the West may not help you. The second conclusion is very important. Look at what Macron says. If we take the effort to check what politicians were saying about their relations with Russia in early 2000s, we'll see that it's a new interpretation of the same idea, the idea of the Great Europe from Brest to Brest, from the French one to the Belarusian one, from the Atlantic to the Ural. Back then, we really tried to cooperate with the EU to sign a strategic agreement on partnership and cooperation to renew our expiring agreement. Macron's returning us to that state now. He gives that initiative a second chance. But Ukraine says that Europe from Lisbon to Lugansk is infected with war.
- Let's listen to Irina Gerashchenko.
- Ukraine’s getting nervous. Nobody's getting nervous.
Irina Gerashchenko: "We, the Ukrainians, realize that the world won't fight for us. But we strictly oppose deciding the fate of Ukraine in our absence. In France, Ukraine was discussed in our absence. My forecast is that soon we are to expect certain humanitarian progress, the release of hostages, for instance, in order put a check on the Minsk progress. Next, they'll try to force Ukraine to vote as part of the political bloc, without dealing with the issues of security and borders. Next, in January, they'll lift sanctions from Russia, because Europe stretches from Lisbon to Siberia. The truth is that Ukraine has paid with the lives of thousands of our heroes for the right to be part of Europe. Dozens of our best warriors are imprisoned in Siberia. Europe doesn't care, and Putin will exploit their indifference. Ukraine's not his last victim".
- There's one thing I'd like to say, but I'm going to ask my Ukrainian neighbors not to get offended.
- We've got ten seconds. Look at how Igor Kozhevnikov is looking at me.
- Without the UK, the EU has only one nuclear power left. The leaders of Europe's two strongest economies and nuclear powers, France and Russia, will naturally be trying to become friends, even if it offends someone.
