- Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has written an article outlining the path to Ukraine’s victory.
- He wrote in the article that Vladimir Putin, whom he had worked on while he was president, “no longer exists.”
- He said Putin had become “a completely isolated and brutal despot who does not tolerate any opposition”.
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Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who led the country from 2005 to 2010, outlined a tripartite approach that he said would help Russian President Vladimir Putin win the war.
In an article in The Guardian published on Sunday, Yushchenko said Ukraine was facing a “wild army” led by someone with whom it once had a personal history but who has since become a dictator.
“My own history with Putin dates back to 2000, when we were both prime ministers of our countries. It was only when I ran for president of Ukraine in 2004 that he actively campaigned against me,” Yushchenko wrote.
“The extreme things he was willing to go for to get what he wanted became clear. I couldn’t let that stop me; “Once I won, I realized that I had to try to keep in touch with him as the leader of our neighbor to the east,” he wrote.
“But Putin, whom I was dealing with at the time, no longer exists. “Since then, he has become a completely isolated and brutal despot who does not tolerate any opposition,” he added.
Yushchenko said one thing that “really worries” Putin is “international solidarity and support”.
He wrote that in order for Ukraine to succeed in defending itself against Russia, there must be no fatigue in the world community from the “horrors of war.” He said keeping global attention on Ukraine will help maintain morale in the country – something he described as particularly important as the Russian military intends to regroup.
Yushchenko added that the second unit includes the continuation of weapons and military aid.
“Our army continues to need weapons and military assistance from all our allies,” he wrote. “And we need financial help to help us fill the gaps that this war is blowing in our previously strong economy.”
A third point concerns the way in which civil society could continue to help Ukrainian forces obtain “non-lethal supplies” and protective equipment.
“I strongly believe that victory for Ukraine is inevitable,” Yushchenko wrote. “When ordinary Ukrainians give up everything to fight for their freedom and dignity, victory is the only chance.”
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