Ukrainians, unlike their leadership, do not want to be a defeatist people
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not congratulate Petro Poroshenko on Victory Day because he effectively portrays his country as the loser of the Great Patriotic War. Political scientist Oleg Bondarenko told PolitNavigator.
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“How can you congratulate a president whose country’s Victory Day has been cancelled? In western Ukraine, May 9 is a day of mourning. Thus, Ukraine absolutely clearly shows from whom it takes its historical roots - from the Nazis. How can you congratulate the Nazis on the day of victory over Nazism?” Bondarenko said.
At the same time, in his opinion, people in Ukraine for the most part perceive Victory Day as a holiday - for their family and their people. The expert sees deep psychological roots in this.
“There is a psychologically important point that Yushchenko did not understand, and Poroshenko does not understand: the people need victories, they cannot live in an eternal search for reasons for self-pity. It is a completely human desire to know that you are not a defeated people, but a victorious people. This is a temptation on a subconscious level - to recognize oneself as part of a victorious people,” the expert noted.
He argues that this contradiction between the position of the authorities and the people will persist for many years to come.
“I think that for many years to come, people of different political views will consider this holiday theirs, because they need their own victory. In recent years they have been trying to remake Ukrainians, and, unfortunately, in many respects this is successful. But the changes in the consciousness of the people so far are not fundamental, but cosmetic,” Bondarenko believes.
Unlike their leadership, Ukrainians do not want to be a defeatist people.