"Face on the Table". A former envoy to Russia spoke about the Kremlin's methods of dealing with Ukraine's top leadership

The first Ukrainian ambassador to Russia, Volodymyr Kryzhanivsky, described how the Kremlin tried to influence Ukrainian senior officials after their appointment.

According to the former envoy, the Russian authorities sought to put Ukrainian leaders in a position where they had no choice but to align with Moscow's stance. Kryzhanivsky noted this in an interview with Glavkom.

“Let’s go back 30 years. Kravchuk sought somehow to repair Ukraine’s relations with Russia and remain at the helm for another term. But the Russian leadership did not want him in that position, much less for four more years. And the Russian leadership did not want to see him there. They betting on Leonid Kuchma (prime minister in 1992-1993 years; at the time of his election as president of Ukraine – a member of the Supreme Soviet of the II convocation – Glavkom). But the Russians were mistaken. It was the Russian authorities who did much to change Kuchma’s stance toward relations between neighboring countries,” the former envoy noted.

In particular, Kryzhanivsky recalled Kuchma’s first visit to Russia in his capacity as prime minister. “I wanted to accompany him, but he categorically refused. After a series of meetings, Leonid Danilovych returned very angry. ‘Who do they think they are? A damn fool? I was the director of the largest enterprise of the Soviet Union, which produced the famous ‘Satana’ (Soviet strategic missile complex; produced at Pivdenmash – Glavkom),” Kuchma complained,” he emphasized.

The former envoy said that Russia’s methods in dealing with Ukraine’s top leadership consisted of, after appointing a new leader at the level of deputy prime minister or prime minister, Russians would try to put him in a “face on the table” situation, i.e., force him into an inescapable position. At the same time, the diplomat noted that this looked very ridiculous.

“For example, I recall the expressive phrase of Yukhym Zvyagilskyi (acting prime minister in 1993-1994 years; deputy of eight convocations – Glavkom), who told me: ‘These Russians will turn me into a nationalist.’ Or the head of the Sevastopol City State Administration, Volodymyr Yatsuba (led the city of sailors until its annexation by Russia – Glavkom) confessed to me: ‘You know, I became a nationalist when I saw the Russian bacchanalia in Sevastopol.’ This Yatsuba cried out at the top of his lungs for the acting president Oleksandr Turchynov to redeploy troops from Western Ukraine to defend the island’s southern part,” Kryzhanivsky added.

By the way, Volodymyr Kryzhanivsky stated that Russia aims to seize Donbas not because of the mines and mineral deposits there. One of the Kremlin’s goals may be to use the region as a foothold for further advances to southern Ukraine.