Oleksandr Turchynov: Strong independent democratic Ukraine is the grave of Putin’s regime

A strong independent democratic Ukraine is the grave of Putin's regime. This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov in an interview with the "Livyi Bereg" online newspaper.

"Putin and his entourage do not see an independent democratic Ukraine. For them, a strong Ukraine is the grave of their regime. So when they say that one can make an agreement with Putin, I do not believe it", - said Mr. Turchynov in the interview.

At the same time, Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine stressed that there is no alternative to the Minsk process. "After all, this is the only platform that allows us to use diplomatic and political methods of influence on the Russian Federation", - Oleksandr Turchynov noted and added: "I do not exclude that time will come when mutilated by economic and political leprosy, degrading grandmother-Russia will come to us on bended knee and will negotiate about peace format of the settlement of the issue".

 "This requires the increase of the sanctions system and the maintenance of the unity of Europe. The new US administration still should feel its responsibility for the processes that began long before, and in the center of which the US found itself. All this taken together has to work out, - the NSDC Secretary said. - I count upon the morality of our European partners and their self-preservation instinct. Since to stop the Russian aggression is no less important for them than for Ukraine".

Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine also emphasized that Ukraine must return all the occupied territories, not separate areas: "We need to return the whole occupied territory. I am against squandering our territories on pieces. We should speak about the complete de-occupation of Donbas".

 "Why is Russia so afraid of this? Because the next issue will be the de-occupation of the Crimea. The bullet flew, and it will hit all the pins placed by them. Russia realizes that when it misses a single shot, this will turn into a disaster for it", - Mr. Turchynov stated. "If in Donbas, according to Putin's version, there is no Russians, then in the Crimea, they were dislocated officially even until 2014. Let us take the Black Sea Fleet at least. Having seized the Crimea, Russia broke the agreement on its strategic military base signed by Yanukovych. Therefore, the de-occupation of the peninsula will lead to the situation, when neither Russians' bases nor navy should remain there. For Putin, it is like a death sentence", - Oleksandr Turchynov explained.