It is critical to explain to the West that the fall of the USSR did not mark the end of russian imperialism. As a result, today’s Ukrainian victory and russia’s defeat are critical for the future of the European Union.
Hanna Hopko, the head of the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS”, emphasized this in an interview with “Armyinform”.
“It is essential that Ukraine’s victory, and thus russia’s military defeat, assisted the European Union in becoming a geopolitical player. As a result, the significance of the Ukrainian victory not only for Central Europe, but also for the European continent and the EU in general, and our return to the European family of nations, particularly through future membership, is the strengthening of the European Union’s position as a geological and geoeconomic player,” – Hanna Hopko noted.
The leader of the “ANTS” emphasized that the current russian opposition has imperial ambitions, just like the current government of the russian federation.
“In the nearly 9 months since the full-scale invasion, I’ve been to Washington three times, Brussels several times, and Paris on various advocacy missions.” At international events, I see representatives of russia’s phony opposition everywhere. Why the term “pseudo”? Because they are just as imperial as the current administration. I did not hear them condemn what is happening in Ukraine as genocide, nor did I hear them express regret. In addition, the russian federation will pay Ukraine all compensation after the tribunal, and will do so for generations, as Nazi Germany did after defeat in World War II. I haven’t heard a clear plan for de-imperialization from them. I just read in their eyes: the Ukrainians are about to destabilize Putin’s regime, and we will finally “rule” russia. They run around various offices in Washington, Brussels, London, and Paris, convincing people that a democratic Russia is possible, necessary, and worth investing in”.
According to Hanna Hopko, the dialogue about the future of the russian federation is incomplete because it has been completely dominated by russian oligarchs or pseudo-oppositionists.
“They always say in their messages that Great russia is a victim of putin’s policies. They distinguish themselves by telling which ones are good and that, in fact, all that is required is the removal of putin’s regime. As a result, our task is to explain very clearly, using the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as an example, that this was not the end of colonial policy, – she says. – The subjective position of the Ukrainian state was expressed when the Verkhovna Rada adopted an important statement document that clearly stated the de-imperialization of the russian federation and the decolonization of the prison of nations. The president also addressed an appeal to indigenous peoples who became victims, hostages of the regime, were reduced to poverty, and then sent to war. Ukraine now has moral authority in the world, which increases our responsibility to those who have the right to self-determination”.
The Russian opposition should sit down at the negotiating table together with the indigenous peoples who inhabit the russian federation.
“I’ve heard from several colleagues that russian oppositionists are upset with Ukrainians because we criticize them. And that we are bringing the theme to life with indigenous peoples. And what exactly is the issue? If you truly want decentralization and do not want to continue the kremlin’s policy, which is no different in its pressures and repressions from the USSR’s policy, invite indigenous peoples to the negotiating table and begin talking with them. As a result, it is critical that we explain to the West, which has yet to develop a clear, meaningful, and promising strategy for prevention and revival, why the collapse of the Soviet Union did not lead to the collapse of imperialism. At the end of its life, this empire recovered and struck: the Chechen war, the Georgian war, and, since 2014, armed aggression against Ukraine”.
Hopko emphasizes that the deterrence policy pursued by the West for the past eight years, since the beginning of russian aggression, has failed.
“russia was not taken seriously by the West. Their containment strategy has failed. It resulted in genocide.”
russia is still an empire, it is still a colonial mindset. russian colonialism brings only genocide and war crimes and it has been going on for centuries.
“We must explain that if we do not stop the policy of colonialism, this un-imperialism, then we will see authoritarian clubs emerge, as we already see with Iran, Belarus, North Korea, and China fighting against Ukraine. The end of russian colonialism means preventing the spread of new attacks, such as China’s on Taiwan, North Korea’s provocations near the South, and so on. There are geopolitical threads running through this. Because if we don’t finish, they will use the time, as russia did after the first Chechen war, which russia lost but managed to build up its armed potential in 5 years”.