Economic contacts with Russia are necessary for Ukraine after war - Kuchma

He expressed this opinion in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

‘Political relations are largely determined by history and ideology. Economic relations are determined by geography and geology. Under all circumstances, Russia will remain geographically close to us. And, as I often say, the entire periodic table will remain in the depths of Russia. So it would seem that geography and geology urge us not to give up on the prospects of economic cooperation with Russia,’ Kuchma said.

However, in his opinion, Russia should voluntarily undergo the denazification procedure, just as Germany did after World War II.

‘The world can still force a nuclear power to abandon aggression against its neighbors, but it cannot force it to change its own aggressive imperial psychology if it does not want to. Without this, Russia will remain a vast territory with a population that has willingly allowed itself to be intoxicated by the drug of imperial aggression, has had time to taste blood and seems to like it,’ the politician said.

• In April, Kuchma said that resistance to the Russian forces should not be stopped, as it would mean condemning the population of the occupied territories to genocide. 

  ‘I will not say obvious things here, such as that Russia will use the ceasefire only to force the West to stop helping Ukraine, and will gather strength and strike again. This is clear and transparent as glass. I will say something else. When we are urged to stop fighting so that there are no casualties, it seems like a boxer is being urged to stop fighting a stronger opponent. Like, stop, and there will be no more nosebleeds, no more bruises... If the boxer stops, it will happen. But this is not boxing, we are attacked by a crazy, brutal maniac for whom there are no rules and who came not to box, but to kill, which Russia no longer even hides. The maniac will not stop,’ he said.