You're reading: Kuchma says Russia actually produced an ultimatum to Ukraine

The events that have taken place after Minsk II indicate that Russia has actually produced an ultimatum to Ukraine, second Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma believes.

“The president of Russia behaves so as if there were no understandings in Minsk. An ultimatum has actually been produced to us. Either we accept its terms and stop all resistance or stop existing as an independent state. He made it understood that he will not stop at any losses or expenses in attaining his objective and now his objective is clear as ever. This is an ultimatum not only to us but the whole Western world,” he said in an interview with Holos Ukrainy newspaper.

“God permit me to be mistaken in my evaluations,” he added.

In Kuchma’s opinion, the geographical and historical place of Ukraine is in united Europe.

“Simply our people take European values closer to heart. We like to live that way – in a European style. We are sorry that our road to Europe is so long, twisted and painful,” he said.

“We can proudly say that we are a mentally stable people. In life we are guided by facts, reality, common sense, not tales or myths. We are not trying to tell the world that we are better than the rest, that we have some special rights or claims. Ukrainians are reasonable, normal. In a word – modern Europeans. This can be considered our greatest asset these days,” he stressed.