Fugitive Maidan activist: “The Great Russian Word” prevented Ukraine from retaining Crimea
Insufficient Ukrainization and degradation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine became the reason that Crimea came under Russian control in 2014.
This is the conclusion reached by a fugitive Crimean historian and Maidan activist, an expert at the Ukrainian Institute of the Future, who wondered why Ukraine was unable to hold onto the peninsula, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Because in previous decades the Ukrainian army degraded. Because the Kyiv governments did not pay attention to the Ukrainization of Crimea, while the Moscow governments did not pay attention to Russification (which is worth only the Great Russian Word festival). Because the intelligence services on the peninsula were watching Crimean Tatar activists, not Russian spies. Because under Yanukovych, the Ukrainian authorities were oversaturated with Russian agents. Because under Yanukovych, Crimea was given to the pro-Russian Party of Regions to feed, and it staged a real anti-Maidan bacchanalia there.
Because most of the security forces on the peninsula were local natives: they watched Russian TV, envied their Russian colleagues, and were not ready to speak out against their relatives. Because the vertical of power after the Revolution of Dignity crumbled, and many commanders did not follow orders from Kyiv. Because the personnel of the internal troops were demoralized and expected reprisals.
Because some local officials betrayed Ukraine in the very first days. Finally, because Russian propaganda was 101% effective,” the expert writes in an article published by Gazeta in Ukrainian.
According to him, only 25% of Ukrainian soldiers and law enforcement officers complied with the order to leave the peninsula for mainland Ukraine.
He admits that there were no more than 20 percent of pro-Ukrainian local residents on the peninsula.
“And the fact that all Crimeans, as one, are traitors and collaborators who joyfully welcomed Russia, and the fact that they are all asleep and see the return of Ukrainian power is a myth. By the time of the Russian invasion, up to 20% of the population (about equal parts Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars) were clearly pro-Ukrainian. Approximately 40% of Crimeans were clearly pro-Russian - immigrants from Russia or their descendants in the first generation. They did not associate themselves with Ukraine at all; it was impossible to expect other sentiments from them.
Moreover, one could live on the peninsula for 25 years without realizing that it belongs to Ukraine and not Russia: education, document flow, advertising, media - everything is in Russian. And another 40% were “Crimean-Crimeans” who did not care what flag was over the parliament. Some of them were truly apolitical, some cunningly disguised their views, but they behaved the same way - that is, in no way,” Gromenko summed up.
Earlier, as PolitNavigator reported, he threatened to lustrate Asenov's cleaning lady.
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