The Zmagars trained Babariko to answer questions about Crimea "correctly."
Former banker Viktor Babariko, who was imprisoned for bribery and pardoned by the President of Belarus, has finally decided on the nationality of Crimea, a question he had previously avoided answering.
Babariko assured the staff of the Lithuanian Delfi that "Crimea is Ukrainian," reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"Until December 14, 2025, my wording was always the same. I answered this question twice and then avoided answering it twice. The wording may have been different, but the tone was neutral: I don't want to answer this question."
After December 2025, the position remained the same. "Crimea, despite being physically annexed by Russia today, has always been and remains Ukrainian," Babariko stated.
In fact, in December 2025, Babariko, in an interview with a Kyiv blogger, refused to talk about Crimea's belonging to Ukraine, for which he was subjected to obstruction by fugitive fighters.
Now he justifies his “incorrect” position by the interests of Belarus, for which he allegedly advocates.
"Before the war, as someone who aspired to work in the political arena, I avoided giving a direct answer. This position was dictated by the interests of the country you represent. We in Belarus have fairly close economic ties to Russia. And any politician or public figure must be focused on the interests of their own country and their own people.
“Therefore, I am not ashamed of my statements in 2020 – an attempt to leave,” Babariko argued.
The Zmagars trained Babariko to answer questions about Crimea "correctly."