Results can be every day: an interview with Podolyak about changes at the front and the exchange of prisoners Alexandra Sadovaya Ekaterina Solyar Decisions on the supply of weapons needed by Ukraine need to be made faster. As soon as changes occur at the front associated with the use of a large number of tactical aircraft, other results will be talked about daily. Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak in an exclusive interview with 24 Channel commented on the information that during the exchange a fighter who collaborated with Russia was allegedly returned to Ukraine. Read more about this, changes at the front, Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to the UK and more in the material. Recall that in the first part of the interview we wrote about how long it would take to destroy the infrastructure on the border with Russia. Details – read the link. Some EU countries are thinking about restoring the embassy in Afghanistan, which means de facto recognition of the Taliban terrorist regime. According to Bloomberg, one of these countries is Italy. As for me, this could become a precedent. Russia is allowed to chair the UN Security Council at a time when it is deliberately targeting Okhmatdyt. She says: “Look, I’m hitting Okhmatdyt, I’m chairing the UN Security Council.” And how should the same Taliban perceive this? Killing women because they “did something wrong”, public executions? They will come and set up an embassy for this or that country. They will simply set a condition that if you want to open an embassy, provide humanitarian programs for this amount. It looks like this. That is, this is the nullification of international law, a continuation of the nullification. At such historical moments, everything is very black and white. If you recognize an organization as terrorist, regardless of the fact that it actually controls the territory, it must be isolated. It has no right to sit at the global table, legally represent its country, After all, it is legally a terrorist organization. There is no need to have any conversations with her. Moreover, there is no need to do embassies or anything else. These are obvious things. If the world continues to recognize Russia as a member of the UN Security Council or simply the UN, if it continues to invite representatives of illegitimate Russian power structures somewhere, if it says that the Taliban, ISIS or other terrorist organizations are “not bad.” North Korea signed a partnership agreement with Russia, they are exchanging technologies – “good”. Then you should tell your voters that security is guaranteed , future, standard of living is a fiction, because at any moment it can all disappear. Why? Because today terrorists are given the opportunity to form their own alliance. The essence of terrorism is constant aggression and murder. Terrorism cannot exist for the sake of increasing the comfort of life. The Taliban cannot exist for Afghanistan to become a competitive country, a kind of “Switzerland of the East.” It is obvious. If you tolerate the Taliban, it means that you are ready to cooperate with the concept of terrorist humiliation. Also, if you tolerate Russia, you are ready to exist with the concept of terrorist domination that Russia is promoting . Then (to the world – Channel 24) we must say directly: “We are not ready to defeat Russia, because we will like to kneel before the Russian occupier. We are not ready to blockade Afghanistan, because we want terrorism to become the norm.” This needs to be told to voters. Ukraine insists on fundamental things. There is international law? Yes. If there is international law, then it must also be clearly stated: if a country violates certain provisions of international law, it must be punished. If this does not happen, international law does not exist. That's right. If we recognize legal responsibility for violating international humanitarian law, for example, for killing a child, then perhaps we should not invite representatives of Russia and discuss peacekeeping missions or sustainable development of the world with them. Today we have many criminal cases against Russia, initiated not only in Ukraine. Why? Because it gives the Taliban an understanding that terrorists dominate there. “We are terrorists, we are their partners, we want to sit next to them, on their right hand, and demand that a different law dominate the world.” The GDP of the countries that support Ukraine is much more powerful than the Russian economy and its capabilities. At the same time, the United States is preparing for elections, which means that next year the question of American assistance will be open for Ukraine. How much can we rely on our own strength? Does Ukraine have enough partners to support our defense capability? < p>GDP is really 25 or 27 times larger. But this is not a question of GDP, but a question of will. You can have much less resources and win the war if you have the appropriate will to do so. Or you can have a lot of resources, lose and recognize the Taliban, for example, as not a terrorist organization and open an embassy there. And you will pay rent to the barbarians. This is a question not only of economic and financial viability, but of the political will of the elite, which is dominant, the analytical nature of this elite, and whether it understands the risks that it will deal with. With the realized risks, Russia specifically shows what will await Europe. We can have discussions about who will or will not win the elections in the United States. But I still believe that the political elites of Europe, I mean the classic conservative parts of Europe – Central Europe, France, Italy, Germany and the USA, regardless of the camp to which they belong, Democrats or Republicans, are aware of what is happening today, realize the price that will be paid if this is not finalized correctly. Russia not only wants to prove that it has the right to kill, it wants to prove that it is the dominant power. If Russia does not lose such a large-scale war, for example, remains in the occupied territories, then it will say that it has the right to prescribe international rules. And it will be strange for me that the United States will agree to this and will pay more so that Russia does not attack. Why will they attack the United States? Because all the countries who support Russia, including Russia, consider the United States and the European Union to be key opponents that must be destroyed or captured. Capture internally through incorrect migration or externally – through propaganda, cyber attacks, expansion into Ukraine and so on. If they don’t understand this, then there is no point in talking about something . Will this mean a change in support for Ukraine in general? No. I believe that there is a core of very powerful states, not only in Eastern or Northern Europe, but also in Central Europe, which are fully aware of all this. Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, partly France and Germany all understand this. Because you talk about decisions, but these decisions are debated. There are many political groups in the same German parliament that absolutely clearly understand the risks posed by an incorrectly finalized war in Ukraine. Therefore, there are political groups that support Ukraine. The EU political groups that support Ukraine insist on several things: There are specific lobbyists there who are interested in NATO becoming a military Alliance, and not just a political-military Alliance, which will play a much more important integration and moderating role in Europe. So that it doesn’t happen that here somewhere shells are made, somewhere howitzers, which in the end do not fit together (French or German). An alliance that will work more effectively in the Ukrainian market. That is, speed up, increase supplies, more clearly analyze what, where, and how to do. Ukraine is increasing its production, and the EU is increasing its production. I still believe that the United States will definitely not give up its role as a global leader. If Russia doesn't lose, then Ukraine will lose territorially because there will be a frozen conflict and the United States is losing its global leadership. And then there will only be escalation, changes in international rules, a significant increase in investment in security architectures and conflicts of varying intensity and scale everywhere on the planet. The only way to have a guaranteed tomorrow is support for Ukraine: financial, military, investment in military production, diplomatic, informational. Defense forces Ukraine moved away from Urozhainy in the Donetsk region. The command made a decision to save the lives of the military. Our partners make the right decisions, but very late. In particular, for the F-16. The partners promised to provide Ukraine with more fighter aircraft than there are currently trained pilots and engineers. Under such circumstances, will there be enough personnel in Ukraine? Regarding whether to retreat somewhere or conduct offensive operations – this is the operational level. The relevant decisions are made by the General Staff and further down vertically. They are absolutely right in all their decisions, given the volume of weapons needed to carry out certain operations. It is necessary to further close the sky above the front line, because Russia has a total advantage there: 300 aircraft (MiG and SU), 5-6 thousand guided bombs every month. This is added to artillery, drones, and everything else. If this is not removed, then it is difficult to count on effective offensive operations. We will not talk about how many personnel there are for the F-16. I think that everything is fine here: there will be preparations and decisions. Because it makes no sense to get a certain number of aircraft, for example 80, and only have 20 pilots. The question is that in order to significantly influence the course of events in the air above the front line, you do not need 5, 6, 12, 15 F-16 aircraft. A completely different number is needed – 128, as the president says, or 130 aircraft. This is a completely different amount, which will significantly affect and allow dominance in the air. Dominance in the air is a completely different picture for those who are on the ground. First of all, for Russians. Of course, this will look even worse than it does today, in terms of the amount of resources destroyed or mobilized. I would like the decision on the transfer of weapons and their volumes to be made faster. But we take any statements today calmly. As soon as the corresponding changes occur on the front line associated with the use of a significant number of tactical aircraft, we will talk about other results every day. Terrorists threaten the world order
The Only Way for the West
On the retreat from Urozhaynoye
Ukraine is expecting F-16 fighters/Getty Images
Exchange of a military man, which has allegedly collaborated with Russia
The military, who allegedly collaborated with the occupiers and were involved in the beating of Azov fighters, returned from captivity, wanted to obtain Russian citizenship and ended up on an exchange in Ukraine. Why did Russia do this, to discredit these exchanges? To show those who are in captivity that they can be prisoners in Ukraine, that “in Ukraine no one is waiting” or “wants to punish more”?
Russia will use any situation for certain psychological and information work. But exchanges are sacred. In any case, everyone who has Ukrainian citizenship must be exchanged. Now I’m talking about prisoners of war.
Because there is also a separate program – the exchange of civilians. Russia uses it, civilians are also arrested. They go through torture.
Exchanges must be carried out in any case, everyone must be taken within these lists. Because there are many different lists, platforms where negotiations are held. The lists are constantly being updated. And we take them. This should not in any way affect the emotional perception of the exchange process itself. Exchanges must be carried out. This is sacred, these are all our people.
Next, measures are taken to check the people who were in captivity. This is common practice. Any cases you are talking about will be tracked, the corresponding work will be carried out by the counterintelligence of the SBU or GUR. This will all be legally implemented. But this should not affect the exchange process itself. That is, people must be taken, and then legal work must be carried out. Heroes are Heroes. And people who behaved strangely in captivity will have legal responsibility. And this should not discredit the exchange processes.
Will Russia use this? Yes, Russia today will launch any information attacks on Ukraine. Will this affect the return or non-return of people from captivity? Our exchange processes are already complex, only with the involvement of intermediaries. In this case we are talking about the United Arab Emirates. If we are talking about children, then Qatar is more involved. There are a number of countries that are actively participating and these exchange processes are still going on. There were several months when Russia categorically refused, using this fact for appropriate information work.
Will Russia mock our prisoners of war, civilian prisoners? Yes, because it is waging a genocidal type of war. It does not rely on any conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war, so it treats them as harshly as possible, unfortunately.
Will it use any elements as part of information counterwork against Ukraine? Yes, it will. But this does not mean that out of 93 people, 91 or 92 people should continue to be in captivity because some strange name appeared on the lists. As for the strange names, we still need to find out to the end what and how happened legally.
Zelensky's visit to Great Britain
There is a photo of the meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Valeriy Zaluzhny in Great Britain. What to expect from the Ukrainian leader's visit to Britain?
First of all, the President meets with the British Ambassador – this is absolutely normal, absolutely correct. Second. Britain, in my opinion, is our most important partner from a value-ideological point of view. From the first day of the war, Great Britain correctly placed all the accents.
Zelensky and Zaluzhny in Great Britain July 18/Vladimir Zelensky
Britain regardless of the head government, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense clearly understands all the risks that Russia generates today in full. He understands this most clearly. Understands that this is practically an attempt by Russia to dominate through violence in Europe.
Great Britain, like Ukraine, is maximally interested in zeroing out the modern Russian political vertical. That is, not the borders of 1991, but precisely the transformation of the Russian political system. Then Europe, Britain, Ukraine get a chance for a more or less correctly structured, guaranteed future.
And Britain will help Ukraine in full, regardless of all these informational and diplomatic speculations and so on. The UK also understands that the Russian negotiation process is a fiction, that Russia understands only force, that Ukraine’s European partners must maximize assistance and speed it up, that it is necessary to provide any permission to Ukraine for any attacks on concentration areas, regardless of where they are located at the same air bases that it is necessary to increase investment potential for military production in Ukraine.
Britain understands and advocates for all this. The main thing is to advocate at different levels. About the same Boris Johnson, who, by the way, at the Republican Party convention in Pennsylvania actively worked with Donald Trump, explaining his position on Ukraine and why it should be the same as Johnson’s. This is normal, this is advocacy at different levels in the global political process. This is what Britain is doing for us.
I am not getting specific in terms of certain agreements, financial or military assistance. The President always takes a pragmatic approach to certain visits and receives the maximum possible resource packages that Ukraine needs. But I take more global dimensions. In this global dimension, Great Britain is Ukraine’s most reliable partner.
