Putin's success lies in Ukraine's destruction – British writer Henry Marsh

He expressed this opinion in an interview with Antin Borkovskyi, host of the Studio West program on Espreso TV.

“This is not about territory, but about Putin's desire to preserve his kleptocratic empire. A free and prosperous Ukraine is a direct threat to everything Putin stands for, just as it is to other dictators like those in Iran, North Korea and China. For Putin, success means destroying Ukraine. But it will also mean destruction for the whole world, because it is a kind of harbinger of a return to the nationalistic, autocratic policies that have led to millions of deaths in Europe for centuries,” he said. 

Henry Marsh added that when he first came to Ukraine 32 years ago, he immediately instinctively felt that it was a special country. 

“A young nation fighting for liberation after years of oppression by Russia. It was clear to me at the time, because I studied Eastern European history at Oxford University before becoming a neurosurgeon. Initially, my activities in Ukraine were focused on neurosurgery, namely the introduction of the latest technologies and the delivery of medical equipment from London. However, I quickly realized that there was something much deeper than just medicine behind it all. It was about helping Ukraine return to Western Europe after years of being under Russian influence. I could never have imagined that war would break out. I think few people believed in the possibility of such a scenario. And it was certainly horrifying to watch Putin and Russia, frightened of a free and successful Ukraine, attack it in an attempt to destroy it,” he said.

• PhD in political science Maksym Rozumnyi believes that Russia will be destroyed by the internal situation in the country.