The former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, during her working visit to Switzerland, was invited to the public mass media of Cain — RTS. IN RTS broadcasts the politician said that only the victory of Ukraine can put an end to the war. She considered a compromise with Russian President Vladimir Putin impossible.
You came to Geneva to meet with the leadership of the ILO. What is the purpose of your visit?
Due to the war, millions of Ukrainians lost their jobs. Although the conflict is still ongoing, together with the ILO and the European Commission, we are studying what measures can be implemented to ensure that everyone can find decent paid work after the war. Even if the hostilities continue, we must continue our work to move closer to the European Union's criteria. War cannot be an excuse for the lack of progress on this front.
Are you in favor of Ukraine joining the EU?
One of the main goals of my party, which is the oldest in the Council, has always been to ensure that Ukraine becomes a full member of the EU. This is exactly what the Ukrainian people, parliament and government are working on, despite the war: everyone wants an initial assessment from Brussels, and then accession negotiations. I would like to remind you that Ukraine received the candidate status last year. And you probably remember the Maidan of 2014. Young people sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country moving towards the EU. If we talk about national identity, then Ukraine is Europe.
In 2018, you competed in the presidential elections with Volodymyr Zelenskyi. What can you say about how he runs the country, and did he succeed in uniting it?
Before the war, we were in opposition to Zelensky. We did not share his priorities regarding the necessary internal reforms. But everything changed from the first day of the war. The President gathered the heads of parliamentary factions and shook hands with all of us. We agreed to remain a united team in the face of adversity. This is a necessary prerequisite for victory.
On Wednesday, Germany finally agreed to hand over Leopard heavy tanks to Ukraine. The decisive moment?
Judging by the decision on Thursday and in Ramstein last week, the free world believes that victory is possible. This is a real change for countries that were skeptical about Kyiv's support. The myth that Vladimir Putin needs to save face and that he cannot be provoked has been dispelled. Western countries have agreed to significantly increase arms supplies to Ukraine. This is a breakthrough. They understand that a war can be won with such short-term aid and reject the prospect of a frozen conflict.
The fear of Putin has disappeared. In fact, terrible battles and the death of Ukrainian heroes await us. But Putin, in a certain sense, has already lost this war. We have not lost either our independence or our sovereignty. Sophia of Kyiv has a fresco that is more than 1000 years old and conveys a very symbolic message: it depicts a hunting scene with a leopard...
When you were prime minister in 2005-2007, and then in 2007-2010, you met with Putin. How would you describe it?
He hasn't changed. In 2008-2009, he unjustifiably stopped the supply of gas to the EU. It was — 20°C. Old people and children died. This proves one thing: Putin lacks an adequate perception of reality. He is a man of war. In 2009, Western leaders had to understand this and diversify their energy sources. But they only strengthened Russia's energy monopoly. We are now paying the consequences. By invading Georgia in 2008 and Crimea and Donbass in 2014 and seeing a weak response, Putin crossed several red lines. The event did not draw appropriate conclusions. His irresponsibility encouraged Putin to cross other red lines. In Ukraine, he significantly raised the stakes of the war, which now concern the global security order.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi has just fired four deputy ministers who were accused of corruption. Does this disaster threaten trust in Ukraine?
Before the war, together with the EU and the GXNUMX, we made efforts to create an anti-corruption infrastructure. These reforms are far from complete, and despite the war they must continue. The current case of corruption proves one thing: Ukraine will no longer tolerate such a calamity and will not accept any political and judicial immunity in this matter. I'm not naive. Corruption does not disappear like that. But we will actively fight to reduce it to a minimum. I am convinced that Ukraine is capable of overcoming the culture of systemic corruption that we inherited from post-Soviet times.
Now that the Ukrainian forces will have tanks, will Kyiv try to take back Crimea?
There are no half-wins. In the 1850s, the West was amazed by the greatness of Tsarist Russia. After more than 160 years, Putin revived the myth of Russia's greatness. The West must understand that it is just a paper tiger. Our victory must be global. This means a return to recognized borders. This should serve as a lesson to any would-be dictators. Crimea is ours. It should be returned to us. Putin wants to rewrite the rules of the international order and redraw borders. He spoke about it during his speech at the Munich Security Conference in 2007. For him, force outweighs the force of the law. He wants NATO to return to its 1997 borders.
Does your country need to join NATO?
In 2008, I wrote to the NATO Secretary General asking him to provide us with an action plan for membership. At the summit in Bucharest, Germany and France opposed it. We are paying the price today. It is necessary to correct this blow. NATO must stop being a closed club. We believe that only a collective security system of this type can protect us. By joining NATO, we would have no military ambitions, only additional guarantees of peace. We do not want either Finlandization or being a buffer state.
How do you feel about Switzerland?
We are very grateful to Switzerland for introducing sanctions against Russia and for accepting more than 17 Ukrainians. This is a very strong symbol. We respect Switzerland's neutral status. But he does not prevent her from taking the side of good.
