Retired colonel-general, MGIMO professor, former head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the RF Ministry of Defense Leonid Ivashov became one of the most talked about people in Russia after an unexpected anti-war statement on the website of the conservative All-Russian Officers' Assembly. There, for example, there were phrases about Putin's resignation, the inadmissibility of military aggression against Ukraine and the «genocide of the Russian people» by the current government. We are talking with Ivashov about the reasons for such a harsh statement for a former personnel military statement, unexpectedly fallen fame, Navalny, fear of repression/poisoning and the possible consequences of the war, which has been talked about everywhere lately.
Leonid Ivashov. Photo: RIA Novosti
Editor's note
Our author's interlocutor, Colonel-General Ivashov, is not our hero. “Izborsky Dreams”, the tendency to read the newspaper “Tomorrow” in the morning, the calculations of Jews in Lenin's government — this is an archetype understandable to our readers. We give the floor to Mr. Ivashov, because his position caused a strong public outcry, and the preservation of peace is a common cause. Even for generals.
«If there is a war, Russia and Ukraine will become enemies forever»
— Let's start with address , which is called the expression of your personal opinion, and not the DUS. Did you discuss it with anyone and how did you decide to publish it?
— The OOS has existed since the early 1990s, we had difficult relations with the authorities, in recent years we have been put a spoke in the wheel in every possible way. We always thoroughly analyze the situation in the country, and when we felt signs of Russia preparing to unleash a war, we gathered several times at a large meeting, in which our regional branches also participated, in order to come to a common decision in the discussion.
In my reports, I indicated that there are signs of preparations for a major war, which will lead to disastrous consequences. People's opinions were different, some, including Colonel Kvachkov, retorted me, saying that it was necessary to build a «Russian world», to liberate the native Russian lands. They are a little euphoric, they think that supporters are waiting for us in Kharkov and Odessa. But I believe that many, especially those who lost loved ones in the war, will shoot at us. We swept a lot of options, worked out this option and published it. Of course, not everyone agreed with him.
Context
Read the full text of Leonid Ivashov's address on the All-Russian Officers' Assembly website
— Have you already felt the increased attention to yourself?
— Of course, and for me it was surprising. The calls were not only from Russian media — from liberal to «patriotic» — but also from foreign ones — the Financial Times, calls from the Czech Republic, Holland and other countries.
I think such attention from abroad is due to the fact that Europe does not want war at all and get into our Slavic squabbles.
“Well, everyone is used to the fact that in Russia the liberal non-systemic opposition most often calls for peace, and when a colonel general does this, everything is perceived differently.
— Yes, this is unexpected for me, because we have published statements that are close in spirit before, but for some reason they were not paid attention to. Now, apparently, the parties are really divided — either peace or war. The image of the enemy is already being formed on both sides, God forbid war, we will become enemies forever. After all, Putin had the opportunity to recognize or annex the republics of Donbass after a referendum following the example of Crimea, but our government takes the position that this is the territory of Ukraine. And then it was necessary to recognize their independence in accordance with the right to self-determination, establish diplomatic relations and sign a security treaty. Of course, the downed Malaysian Boeing is another failure that finally quarreled us with the world community, although everything was recorded there.
They would have confessed honestly: “They planned to shoot down the cargo An-26, which was carrying shells, and they made a mistake”, but no.
“The requirements are impossible”
— How do you even imagine a war between Russia and Ukraine?
— It will be a strange war, where political goals are not indicated at all.
I see that propaganda and our staff TV presenters are starting to escalate the situation, we have agreed to the fact that the deputy from the «United Russia» Fedorov openly declares a nuclear strike on the United States.
— Such rhetoric is quite in the spirit of the current government.< /p>
— I worked a lot with the Americans, I know how they react to different statements. In the same Congress, there are lobbyists for the military-industrial complex, and lobbyists for increasing the price of oil and gas. When, for example, Zhirinovsky says this, they understand everything and do not consider the issue — a small party, plus they give their psychotherapeutic assessment to the patient. But
when a deputy from ER declares this, and neither the party nor Peskov refutes it the next day, then this threat is considered quite seriously there.
This is the ruling party, so they have the right You can't project such words onto the president, the country's leadership. Then Lavrov, at a press conference, declares in an ultimatum about the three main demands of Russia on the Ukrainian issue. I look and understand that these demands are unrealistic, and then the Deputy Foreign Minister declares that there is no choice and they must be accepted. When asked what would happen if they refused, the answer was: «Russia will use the military-technical argument.» I looked to see who in Europe last spoke in such a tone. And it was Hitler, who presented an impossible ultimatum to the same Danes, we returned to those times.