"Being prepared for protection of Ukraine will require resources, both material and mental. Putin plans that it will prevent us from pursuing the policy of the European integration and reforms," considers Leonid Kravchuk.  

In his opinion, the so-called elections were held in the east of the country for Russia to use these regions for constant pressure upon Ukraine. "It is a purely aggressive, military, and strategic task. At any time, in any situation it will be possible to use the so-called elections to go on attacking the Ukrainian land. Russia will not need to make any special statements or declare war, it can be made the same way as they have already learned to do. Some misunderstanding, something has happened somewhere, an aggravation somewhere – and there is a pretext to begin active military operations," said Kravchuk.

The first Ukrainian president considers that, having annexed the Crimea, Russia has no open and effective access to the Crimea yet. The Kerch crossing is constantly overloaded, there are problems with people and equipment all the time. "It is a very big problem for Russia, therefore, it is natural that the Ukrainian territory may be used for breaking a way to the Crimea at any time. Moreover, this hot spot shows the philosophy of the Russian policy. They tell Ukraine, "We will never release Ukraine from our embrace. If you are not able to establish proper relations with Europe and NATO, and they will keep standing in the way, you will constantly feel our aggressive fist". It means that Russia in its philosophy proceeds from the assumption that Ukraine should be under Russia’s control," he said.

"They went to Milan, the first impression was that they started coming to an agreement. There were Minsk accords on the table, and our president, summing up the meeting results, said that Russia agreed that elections should be under the Ukrainian laws. Putin went back from Milan and did everything his way: estimates, conclusions, and, which is important, actions. His actions obviously demonstrate that nobody is going to carry out any interstate or international agreements," Kravchuk reported.

Ukraine is in a very difficult situation now, the ex-president considers. "We say that we do not recognize these "elections" in Donbass, and the world does not recognize them, but Russia does, so it is necessary to re-introduce both sanctions and actions of the West and the USA against Russia. In this case, the West does not trust Putin any more, but it wants to trust him very much. It wants to trust him so much that it keeps directing Ukraine to conduct negotiations, declare truces, try to convince Russia that it wants to solve the Donbass problem in a diplomatic, peaceful way," Kravchuk stated his opinion.

"Until Ukraine comes to the existing border with Russia, until it establishes a full-fledged border line with protection, with analysis, with all parameters proving that even a mouse will not enter Ukraine, we will not be able to ensure peace here in Ukraine. Separatists, terrorists, mercenaries will come to Ukraine as they are doing it now. The so-called humanitarian aid and columns of troops, and columns of military equipment will come openly, without hiding as if they were in their own territory. If we do not manage it and do not prevent Russia from delivering equipment and forces here, military operations will go on smoldering," Kravchuk reported.

The ex-president considers that all attempts to come to an agreement with the terrorists are in vain. "They do not see any conditions, only "DNR" and "LNR". They do not perceive anything else. They are preparing for full, comprehensive creation of these formations. And the border we have made now – I cannot call it any other way – though this border shows that is a line of our enforcement, but it is made on our Ukrainian land. Thus, drawing this border, we thereby declared (like it or not, but we have to tell the truth) that this territory is not purely Ukrainian. It is "DNR" and "LNR", and Russia is openly ruling there as it wants. We declared it," he stated.

"I do not know how long we will keep silence and tell our troops, "Wait. Do not shoot". Yesterday there was a documentary broadcast from checkpoint 32 on ICTV. People talk – and hair simply stands on end. We came so far that separatists give water to our people. We cannot get there. People who escaped are asked, "What does the administration tell you?" The answer is, "They say, suffer and wait". Neither water, nor food, nor help – suffer and wait. Leave people to die? I cannot understand it. What is it for the state military and technical policy? I cannot understand it," Kravchuk reported.  

In his opinion, the authorities have to stop lying at all levels and have to tell people the truth. "Lies in the time of democracy and publicity become clear like donkey’s ears. It cannot last long. Eventually, someone will say, "Enough lies!" It is necessary to tell people the truth what the government can or cannot do. And we should tell the West that we cannot hope for the international agreements after Putib’s speech on Valdai when he openly told that force is a norm. "I put nuclear weapon on the table and speak to you," that is a rough conclusion. Will the Western politicians keep silence with all their desire to live in rest and not to dramatize the situation. But people are dying, Ukraine is losing its lands. How long will it take to prove that Putin is a threat, and not only for Ukraine? We either cannot convince them or we do not have enough arguments. Or, perhaps, the OSCE, guided by other principles and norms, wants to apply other philosophy and make us suffer and feel death and grief? I am against it. I want people to be told the truth, and we do not need any illusions," the politician declared.

"After the meeting with Putin we always have hopes that we have almost agreed on something. I repeat that it is impossible to agree on anything with Putin. Because it is not only his philosophy, it is philosophy of all the Russia. He only carried it out or organized it, or formulated and started acting out the brutal, rough, military and aggressive plan. This is Russian policy and we should be ready for it. We have to learn to live with such an aggressive neighbor. To stop living in illusions as we have already created troops, plants started working, and equipment is now manufactured. Well, if we began all this, we have everything? And these guys go out and say, "We do not have anything, even water". It irritates everybody. Well, well, the governor Lugansk Moskal dramatizes something, it is a panic. But these children who get out of there – do they dramatize, too? We should have a heart," the first Ukrainian president summed up.