What do people in Ukraine think of Trump’s plans to conduct peace negotiations with Russia without Europe and Kiev? DOMRADIO.DE has conducted an interview with Vasyl Savka, Managing Director of KOLPING Ukraine, about these plans. He warns of the consequences and is not only concerned about his own country.
DOMRADIO.DE: Russia has been attacking Ukraine for about three years. US President Trump now wants to start negotiations with Russia’s President Putin to end the war. Talks are currently taking place in the United Arab Emirates that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also travelling to. How is it received by the Ukrainians?
Vasyl Savka (President of Kolping Europe and Managing Director of Kolping Ukraine): Differently. Whilst the Ukrainian government is hopeful, the population is rather sceptical because it seems that the negotiations are taking place without us and without Europe. Many Ukrainians feel that this is unfair, but this is how Trump operates. He describes himself as a ‘deal-maker’ who wants to negotiate with everyone. So we are not surprised, but we are at war. We are protecting and defending our territory and fighting for freedom. There is no point in having peace talks without us.
DOMRADIO.DE: Rumour has it that the USA is making extensive concessions to Russia: no NATO entry for Ukraine, no restoration of territorial integrity, and Washington will not be securing a possible post-war order militarily either. How concerned are you about this?
Savka: We have had no illusions about NATO membership for a long time. It was clear even before Trump took office that we would not become a member in the future either due to the objections raised by some European countries, but we are worried when negotiations take place without us and when we are not given any security guarantees. Even if a peace agreement were reached, it would only be a matter of time before Russia attacked again. The European heads of state and government must be clear about this. In fact, we should actually be grateful to Trump for shaking the Europeans out of their complacency. Even German Chancellor Scholz has obviously woken up. The Europeans are meeting again to develop a common strategy and think about their own security. Europe must show more strength, be it with or without the USA.
DOMRADIO.DE: Was Western Europe too naive with regard to Russia?
Savka: I do not think the Europeans were naive. I think they let him get away with it for so long because they were afraid of provoking him and out of fear of his unpredictability. This also has a global dimension. If the Western countries continue to allow Putin to act as he pleases, it will be also a signal to other autocrats – for example in China –that they can also flout international law.
DOMRADIO.DE: In view of this war of attrition and the many victims, are there now any voices in your country that consider territorial concessions to be a possible solution to end the war, or is that out of the question?
Savka: Until about a year ago, that was non-negotiable, but the mood is changing in terms of concessions. We Ukrainians have been in conflict with Russia’s imperialist aspirations for 300 years and we are convinced that Putin would attack again. If we are to give up territory, we need international security guarantees – for example, automatic NATO membership in the event of a new Russian invasion. However, the majority of Ukrainians are still convinced that we will eventually own Donbass again and be able to travel to Crimea.
DOMRADIO.DE: This is Ukraine’s third winter at war. The headquarters of KOLPING Ukraine are based in Chernivtsi, in the west of the country. How much of the fighting do you experience in your daily life?
Savka: We live here in relative safety. There are no direct attacks here, but we do feel the effects of the war. For example, there are power cuts because the Russians destroyed more than 50 per cent of Ukraine’s energy supply. Water pipes and heating systems are also connected to that. Moreover, many internally displaced people are still coming to us, and they need support. Of course, the situation also has an impact on people’s mental health. Almost everyone knows men who fought or died at the front. As a result, everyday life in Chernivtsi is not the same as it was before the war. On the other hand, people here also socialise. They still go to restaurants, go for walks or celebrate parties. It is very ambivalent. For some people here, the war is very far away, for others it is very present.
DOMRADIO.DE: There are heavy attacks in the south and conquering in the east of Ukraine. People are cut off from the heat supply. How does KOLPING help those people in your country who are more seriously affected by the war?
Savka: We distribute relief supplies that we receive from our partners abroad throughout the country. We distribute emergency generators, medication, food parcels, warm clothing and toys for children. We have been running a soup kitchen for the refugees who come to us for more than 1,000 days, providing warm meals for 550 people a day.
DOMRADIO.DE: Germany will elect a new federal government next weekend. Whatever the results, what is your appeal to the future Chancellor and his Foreign Minister?
Savka: I hope that they finally wake up and understand that Russia will not stop at the Ukrainian border. Putin will carry on, either in direct confrontation or indirectly, whether it be through sabotage or actions by the secret services. Russia’s vision is that of an empire that conquers more and more countries. To prevent this, the West must stand united in a firm alliance. That must be clear to the future German government.
The interview was conducted by Ina Rottscheidt.
Here you can read the interview DOMRADIO.DE
