Putin is in agony. This agony manifested itself in the deaths of dozens of civilians in Odesa. Many Russians consider Odesa a Russian city. In fact, Dmitry Medvedev considers all of Ukraine to be Russia. Russia's plan: Destroy Ukraine, annex it to Russia, and forget that such a state ever existed. Of course, this requires "denazification", punishment or destruction of everyone who thinks, speaks Ukrainian, wants to live in an independent state, in Europe. Putin thinks that he will realize his plans. He will win the election, become the next tsar, and continue to destroy Ukraine. But it will not happen as Putin thought.
A real leader has emerged in Europe. No one expected that this leader would be French President Macron. All of Europe is watching the United States, where Trump may win the upcoming election. Although Macron said that Trump would not win, the American people may decide otherwise. In case of Trump's victory, it is unknown and unclear what the support for Ukraine will be. Many believe that there will be no support at all, especially given the way Republican members of Congress who are Trump supporters vote in Congress: they don't vote at all. When it comes to Ukraine, it is obvious that Europe has begun to worry and think about its future. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Lansbergis Jr. said that the West's original plan was to contain Ukraine, hoping that Putin would negotiate. But Putin has no desire to negotiate. I want to disappoint those Ukrainians who think that negotiations are about to take place and that peaceful life will return: well, let's say we give up some territories to Russia, but other territories will join NATO and receive guarantees. Obviously, nothing of the sort will happen. Not even because the Ukrainian government does not want it, but because Putin himself does not want it. Without Putin's desire, it will be impossible to implement such a plan of alleged peace, as the leader of the German Social Democrats dreamed of. What should Europe do then?
Europe is under serious threat, because if Ukraine falls, the European Union will collapse and start falling country by country.
Europe, Putin, and Russia will turn from a regional monster into a global one, it's already obvious. And here comes the leader, Macron. Macron says that he is ready to send troops to Ukraine, will help, provide weapons... A meeting takes place in the so-called "Weimar Triangle": Macron, Scholz, and Polish Prime Minister Tusk, and they decide that there should be much more weapons for Ukraine: they will buy them together with other EU countries. Because once a leader emerges, obviously, others who understand the threat to themselves will join this leadership. And there can be several such leaders, because Polish Prime Minister Tusk also wants to be the kind of leader who will help Ukraine and save Europe: his party and coalition ran for election under these slogans. Ukraine's future can be considered more or less secure. Ukraine as a state will survive. We will have to fight a lot more. We will be given weapons, Russia will get stronger, we will get stronger. We do not know how the war will end. But we need to finish with the enemy. There is no need to think about what is happening in Russia, where there is a "good Russian" or a "bad Russian". This country, which has become a place of concentration of evil, which kills people, must be destroyed and punished. We have to forget about it, but for this, of course, we need allies.
In one of his recent columns, Yuri Andrukhovych wrote that Ukraine still has no allies and is now fighting on its own. It seems that we are getting real allies. Just as during World War II, in order for other countries to join the war against Hitler, Pearl Harbor had to happen. Japan had to start bombing the United States, because before that, the United States did not want to join the anti-Hitler coalition, but it did. And we hope that the modern democratic countries of Europe will not repeat the previous mistakes of the United States, but will repeat their previous wise decisions. I hope that the United States will begin to return to its history, to realize that it is they who should be the country that preserves democracy in the whole world. If this happens, our victory will be even faster. But even if this does not happen, we have a very serious insurance in the form of the EU. And that is why, when we talk about our democratic processes, we have to look up to the best democratic countries in Europe, to France, Germany, Poland. Even despite the huge number of differences that exist between us, we will solve economic problems. It is extremely important to have strategic allies on the front line. Moreover, no one knows how Putin will behave after these elections.
What is really happening? Putin has killed Navalny, Putin has actually removed all of his competitors from the elections, even those whom he himself had approved for these elections, such as Nadezhdin. There is no free media, no one is watching these elections. Are these elections? How can we recognize Putin as the elected president? We don't recognize Lukashenko, we call him a self-proclaimed leader. Putin is also a self-proclaimed leader. But the West is obviously not going to do that now. I firmly believe that no one will recognize the elections in the occupied territories. Just like in 2018, they were not recognized in Crimea, and the so-called proxy independent DPR and LPR did not hold them then.
Now they should not be recognized in the occupied territories and Crimea either. And the West will probably continue to recognize Putin for the time being. Why? Because they need to talk to someone, at least about nuclear weapons. It is extremely unfortunate for Ukraine, but it is a fact.
Despite the possible recognition of these elections, everyone is well aware that Russia has finally and completely turned into North Korea. But a powerful North Korea with weapons. As for the DPRK, everyone understood that this danger was small, that it was a small pimple on the body of the Earth, which suffers from various diseases, and that it could be ignored. Russia will not be a small boil, but a big cancer on the body of the whole Earth. And Russia has a desire to dominate, and if it fails, to destroy this land. Because, as Putin said, what is the point of the world if Russia does not dominate it? This is Putin's real plan. But Russia will not dominate this world. And Macron's leadership, the leadership of other EU countries, proves once again how important it is for us to remain a democratic country, to work actively with the governments and parliaments of European countries that support us and are our allies. Together we will definitely win.
About the author. Mykola Kniazhytskyi, journalist, Member of Parliament of Ukraine.
The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of blogs or columns.