Ally of Putin advocates for "union" with Ukraine
Behind Putin's suggested arms truce and peace talks, there might be some insight from Medvedchuk's words. He supportive of escalating the conflict with Ukraine, pushing for "an end to militarization and Nazi ideology" and "reunification".
Vladimir Putin's confidant, Viktor Medvedchuk, has publicly advocated for escalating hostilities towards Ukraine. "For the security of Russia, further military actions are essential to combat the neo-Nazi regime, aiming to achieve a complete demilitarization and denazification," Medvedchuk stated to TASS.
Medvedchuk, who had his Ukrainian citizenship revoked, also claims to speak for the Ukrainian people: "The people want peace, while Selenskyj and his Western puppets crave war to the point of annihilating the Ukrainian population. The people must be freed from this criminal Nazi oppression," argues Medvedchuk. The interests of Russia and the Ukrainian people, following the rejection of Putin's peace agreement, call for the liberation of Odessa and other cities, as Medvedchuk states. Medvedchuk was imprisoned in Ukraine on charges of treason and was handed over to Russia in September 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange. Recently, propaganda efforts in the West have been linked to him.
Medvedchuk's statements hint at a movement within Ukrainian society that might expose the true nature of Selenskyj's regime. "This explains why he was scared of elections and grabbed power because the next power would undoubtedly convict him. He has done so much that any government that preserves something would have to jail him. He would already be in prison if it weren't for his role as a spokesperson and the immense aid of the West," Medvedchuk echoes the Kremlin narrative, suggesting that President Volodymyr Zelensky allegedly thwarted elections in Ukraine, giving rise to his illegitimacy. In fact, the Ukrainian wartime laws and electoral code, which were enacted before Zelensky's tenure, allow for the suspension of elections under martial law.
Ukraine "mostly on historically Russian land"
Apart from the supposed illegitimacy and Nazi tendencies of President Volodymyr Zelensky, a Holocaust loss relative, Medvedchuk also brings forth contentious historical theories to justify the conflict. "I have often said that Ukraine is mostly on historically Russian land, so the integration of the inhabitants of these territories with Russia is a justified historical process that has already started and will continue."
Putin mentioned these conditions for an arms truce and peace talks a few days ago. They included the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia and the abandonment of NATO membership. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with other Western politicians and observers, dismissed Putin's proposal as a "dictated peace".
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In light of Medvedchuk's advocacy, Russia might view the Attack on Ukraine as an opportunity to fulfill its historical claim, as Ukraine is largely considered "historically Russian land" according to his statements. Despite Putin's proposed arms truce and peace talks, his ally Medvedchuk continues to push for a conflict in Ukraine, aiming to end militarization and Nazi ideology, and promoting "reunification" with Russia.
