Russia’s goal isn’t to kill all Ukrainians, but to eliminate those who are Ukrainian – dissident Zisels

He shared this view on-air with Espreso TV.

"Historical parallels with current events always exist and always will. But they need to be drawn carefully. The situations are different, the people are different, the collective identities are different. Right now, we are not living through our version of the 1940s. You can compare many things — as long as the comparison is accurate. For example, during World War II, Jews were killed because of ethnicity and race. That was racial genocide," Zisels explained.

The dissident stressed that Russia is trying to erase any trace of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories.

"Today, we don’t see racial genocide in Russia’s actions. Russia inherited the USSR’s model, where internationalism was promoted, even if artificially. Still, there’s a lingering sense of Russian superiority over other nations. In my view, Russia has a different goal now. It’s not about killing all Ukrainians, but about killing those who identify as Ukrainians. In other words, civil society that stands with Ukraine. These are the people Russia is targeting. We’ve seen how Russians behave in the occupied areas. Anyone who says they’re Ukrainian, speaks Ukrainian, or holds values tied to Ukraine, is eliminated," he added.