Western Standard - March 28, 2024


“Russia is the biggest threat to NATO...＂


Episode Stats

Length

3 minutes

Words per Minute

120.188995

Word Count

407

Sentence Count

28

Hate Speech Sentences

4


Summary

What is the real threat to Putin and his regime? Is Ukraine a threat to Russia? Is it a danger to the West? What is the threat to Ukraine? What are the reasons why Ukraine is fighting for its sovereignty and integrity?


Transcript

00:00:00.000 I think this is all narrative about some threat to Russia.
00:00:08.540 It's another part of Russian propaganda.
00:00:11.120 In reality, Ukraine never threatens Russia.
00:00:14.000 What we saw in our own history, back after Ukraine got our independence,
00:00:20.840 Ukraine had the third biggest nuclear weapon warhead in the world.
00:00:27.520 We refused from that, and that was the Budapest Memorandum site,
00:00:33.560 where four countries, including Russia itself,
00:00:37.320 signed and agreed to respect and protect Ukraine's sovereign borders,
00:00:42.900 Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
00:00:46.540 What it turned out back 10 years ago in 2014,
00:00:50.980 Russia occupied Crimea, which is internationally recognized Ukrainian territory,
00:00:58.620 eastern parts of Donetsk and Luhansk region.
00:01:02.860 And we since then were warning because we saw what Russia did in Georgia,
00:01:08.740 and it was nothing about NATO.
00:01:11.200 It was just invading the independent country, taking part of its territory,
00:01:15.160 the same Russia did in Ukraine, and all the atrocities Russia supported in Syria.
00:01:21.240 And we were the ones who were worrying that Russia won't stop there.
00:01:25.040 Russia has the ambition to erase Ukraine.
00:01:29.120 So Russia has the ambition just to withdraw the borders of the sovereign countries.
00:01:33.900 It's neglect all the rule-based order that existed since the Second World War.
00:01:42.660 And so what Ukraine is fighting for now, definitely we are fighting for our own country.
00:01:49.380 Because 40 million nations, it's very similar to the population of Canada,
00:01:54.720 wants to live in an independent sovereign country.
00:01:59.260 The second thing, if we all believe in democracy,
00:02:02.180 we as Ukrainians made the decision that we want to integrate into Europe,
00:02:11.340 we want to integrate in NATO.
00:02:13.300 And it's not for Putin to decide what 40 million Ukrainians in their sovereign country,
00:02:18.740 in their sovereign borders, were willing to do.
00:02:22.180 And today, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians, over 85%, supports European integration.
00:02:29.680 What is the real threat of Putin?
00:02:32.260 Is that successful, independent Western Ukraine is a huge danger for Putin and his regime.
00:02:41.420 Why would that be?
00:02:42.600 Because...
00:02:43.440 You're not aggressive.
00:02:44.220 Because that gives Russians understanding that Putin failed on his policies.
00:02:53.680 Huge Russia was a huge natural resources.
00:02:56.520 And people living in poverty.
00:02:59.540 Russian economy is smaller than Canadian economy.
00:03:02.820 But it's much bigger in population.
00:03:04.900 If you see the well-being of the people in Russia, they are living in poverty.
00:03:09.540 The only wealthy people in Russia are the oligarchs and people close to Putin and KGB.
00:03:17.380 And successful Ukraine is an existential threat to Putin and his regime.