Quote from Timothy Fitzpatrick on January 28, 2023, 10:33

rial commission

January 31, 2017

In 1994, before returning to Russia , Solzhenitsyn gave an interview to the American Forbes . In it, the writer predicted an inevitable conflict with Ukraine , which should give Russia the southern and eastern lands. Solzhenitsyn also predicted the separation of the northern and eastern regions from Kazakhstan.

Despite this, Europe and the US will have to wipe themselves out, as they will need Russia as an ally.

This interview with Alexander Solzhenitsyn was taken in 1994 by Paul Khlebnikov , later the first editor-in-chief of the Russian Forbes (the interview was published on May 9, 1994). In September 2008, his translation was published in paper Russian by Forbes. We present it in abbreviated form.

— Tension in relations between Russia and newly independent Ukraine is growing before our eyes. At the same time, the West fully supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine. According to Henry Kissinger, Russia will always remain a threat to Western interests, no matter who rules it.

- Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Richard Pipes, many other American publicists and politicians - none of them can get rid of their usual, but long outdated way of thinking. Blinded by their stubbornness, they endlessly repeat their theory of aggressiveness inherent in Russia throughout history, unwilling to accept today's reality.

— And what about Ukraine? Didn't Russia threaten some of the former Soviet republics?

“Imagine this picture: one day, not too perfect, two or three states in the southwestern United States simultaneously declare their independence. they become sovereign states and adopt Spanish as the sole official language. All English-speaking residents of these areas - even if their ancestors lived in this place for more than two hundred years - are required within a year or two to pass an exam in Spanish and swear allegiance to the new state. Otherwise, they will not see citizenship, they will be deprived of property rights, civil liberties and the right to employment. What will the US reaction be? I have no doubt: the answer will be an immediate invasion.

Today Russia is in exactly the same situation.In 24 hours, she lost from 8 to 10 primordially Russian regions, 25 million ethnic Russians , who overnight found themselves in the unenviable position of "undesirable strangers." Where generations of their ancestors lived - fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and many before them since the 17th century, they become victims of persecution at work and at home, and their culture and language are mercilessly suppressed.

Under such circumstances, "imperialist Russia" did not even make a serious attempt to clear the blockages that had arisen. Not only did she not scream, she could only whisper, while her 25 million citizens, the largest diaspora in the world, eluded her hands.

- In your opinion, Russia is a victim of aggression, but not an aggressor.

“Can you name at least one more example of such peaceful behavior for me?” And if Russia goes to peace in matters of paramount importance, then is it worth expecting aggression from it in matters less crucial? Russia is in the grip of chaos, and to see it as an aggressor would be too strong an assumption. But have a conscience and do not ask that Russia - exclusively for the needs of America - completely stop worrying about its security and the unprecedented collapse that has befallen our country. After all, these experiences are unlikely to pose a threat to the United States.

Zbigniew Brzezinski has a different opinion. He believes that the United States should protect the independence of Ukraine.

- When in 1919 Lenin extended the Bolshevik regime to Ukraine, he, as if trying to soften the feeling of resentment, transferred several Russian regions to it. Historically, these regions have never belonged to Ukraine. I mean the southern and eastern regions of today's Ukraine.

Then, in 1954, Khrushchev, in obedience to the whim characteristic of this king, “gave” Crimea to Ukraine. But even he did not think of “giving” Sevastopol to Ukraine - it remained a free city under the jurisdiction of the USSR government. The US State Department succeeded, first at the level of the ambassador's statements in Kyiv, and then in a more official manner.

Why on earth does the State Department decide who gets Sevastopol? If we recall President Bush's completely tactless statements in support of Ukrainian sovereignty even before the referendum on this issue, the conclusion suggests itself: the main goal of all this activity is to weaken Russia - by any means possible and without thinking about the consequences.

Why would Ukraine's independence weaken Russia?

- As a result of the sudden and rude establishment of boundaries within the Slavic peoples, millions of family and friendship ties were destroyed. Can this be taken lightly? The recent elections in Ukraine clearly demonstrate the preferences of the residents of Crimea and Donetsk. A democratic country is obliged to respect the opinion of its citizens.

I myself am almost half Ukrainian. I love this culture and sincerely wish Ukraine every success, but only within its true ethnic boundaries - without Russian territories taken along the way. And certainly not as a “great power”, which Ukrainian nationalists have now staked on. They grimacing in every possible way and welcome the creation of a cult of power, trying with conviction to cast an enemy out of Russia. Aggressive slogans are heard everywhere. The inevitability of war with Russia is being promoted with might and main in the Ukrainian army.

Ukraine is not even able to pass the cultural test for great power status: 63% of the population of Ukraine within its current borders consider Russian as their mother tongue - this is three times the number of ethnic Russians in the same territory. This huge mass of people will have to be re-educated in the Ukrainian language, while the language itself will have to rise to international standards. This task will take more than a hundred years to complete.

— In your opinion, among the territories that were previously part of the USSR, are there Russian territories to the same extent as eastern and southern Ukraine?

— Yes, the whole north and east of Kazakhstan is actually part of the south of Siberia. These territories are mostly populated by Russians.who, like other ethnic minorities, who together make up 60% of the population of Kazakhstan, are harassed as a people with their own culture and face obstacles in business and personal life. How can the minority control the majority? Only with lies and force. This is exactly what we observed in the past “elections” in Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is regarded in the West as a great democrat. In reality, he has already become a dictator...

- ...And none of this poses a threat to the United States?

- If you look into the not very near future, you will see: in the 21st century, the time will come when the United States and Europe will urgently need Russia as an ally.

I must admit that this statement confuses me.

- It confuses only those who do not want to look into the future and do not see the emergence of new forces in the present.

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Recall that vandals desecrated a monument to the Russian writer and philosopher A. Solzhenitsyn, which opened on September 5, 2016 on the Ship Embankment in Vladivostok. A sign with the inscription "Judas" on the sculpture was hung by a local resident who sought to install a monument in honor of Stalin on this site.

“A year ago, my comrades and I asked for a place for the installation of a monument to Stalin in connection with the 70th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The administration told us that there is no place in the city for the installation of this monument. At the same time, a place was found for a monument to Solzhenitsyn, ”the agency quotes the activist’s video message, in which he explains the reasons for his act.

The man also stressed that he considers the writer "a traitor, anti-Soviet and Russophobe."

Source: https://imperialcommiss.livejournal.com/1710059.html