You're reading: Kommersant.ua: Putin adviser Glazyev calls for force to end anti-government EuroMaidan protests

Editor's Note: The following is a translated excerpt of an interview with Sergey Glazyev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, conducted by Kommersant newspaper and published on Feb. 6.

Sergey Glazyev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, told Kommersant newspaper that the Ukrainian government is making a mistake by avoiding force to end the EuroMaidan protests. If protesters do not disperse voluntarily, Glazyev says that violent suppression is inevitable, he told Sergey Sidorenko of Kommersant.

Glazyev also told Kommersant that he supports the federalization of Ukraine – which some believe is a code word for an end to its national sovereignty. He also, as he has in the past, said that the heavily industrialized, densely populated southeastern part of Ukraine should join the Kremlin-led Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

He also harshly criticized Washington, accusing U.S. officials of interfering in the internal affairs of Ukraine. He said that what’s happening in Ukraine is a violent coup attempt. He said that President Viktor Yanukovych and Ukrainian oligarchs are not taking strong action because they are cowed by Western threats “to add them into the blacklist with the seizure of all assets, accounts and confiscation of property.”

Moreover, Ukrainian authorities are threatened with being taken to the court in Hague over alleged human rights abuses.

“The powers are afraid for their assets and try to survive, without losses,” Glazyev told Kommersant. “First of all, it is important to call everything the way it is. We are dealing with the coup attempt, which involves professionally trained, armed storm troopers.

“Secondly, the West must stop blackmail and intimidation, such as Victoria Nuland, the U.S. assistant secretary of state, for instance. She met the oligarchs, the president’s representatives and the government. As I was informed, she made it clear that that they will be blacklisted” if Yanukovych doesn’t cede control of the government to the opposition.

“Thirdly, the West has to accept Moscow’s proposal to establish a tripartite consultations in the format of Ukraine – Russia – European Union on the future of trade and economic cooperation in Kyiv.”

He told Kommersant that a tripartite dialogue is essential, but the U.S is interested in a violent overthrow of Ukraine’s government.

“As we were informed, US officials are spending $20 million a week for funding the opposition and the rebels, including weapons,” Glazyev said. “There is information that armed militants are trained on the territory of the U.S. Embassy.”

Glazyev said that U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt expressed confidence in a recent interview with Day newspaper that Ukraine will sign a political and trade association agreement with the EU, “as if it was his decision to make.”

Glazyev said that the Ukrainian government is not using force, but merely defending itself, and said that a split of Ukraine “must be avoided” although it may be in the West’s interests.

Yet, he said, that he supports federalization of Ukraine – which would mean, at the least, decentralized government.

He said he did not know whether Yanukovych and Putin would come to any new agreements in Sochi on Feb. 7 during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

Kyiv Post intern Solomiya Zinevych translated the text from Russian.