Ukrainian Defence Minister calls on world to push for Russia's transformation: It must undergo denazification

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has called on the democratic world to put Russia's transformation on the agenda.

Source: Reznikov on Facebook, after his speech at the Black Sea Security Conference of the International Crimean Platform in Bucharest

Quote: "The issue of Russia’s transformation should be on the agenda... Russia should become a democratic federation. It has to go through denazification, extradite criminals and compensate for the damage. Otherwise, there will be no trust. There must be a common position, including the position captured through a system of powerful sanctions, that without transformation into a true democratic federation, Russia will not be able to restore relations with the civilised world."

Details: The minister has stressed that the free world must change the paradigm of its actions in the context of countering aggression and must have a strategic initiative, being ready to act quickly and preventively. He has also highlighted that there is no alternative to Ukraine's membership in NATO, as "we need a system of preventive guarantees that will minimise the desire to solve anything by force".

"Any models or conversations about security in the region that do not include the liberation of Crimea from Russian occupation are illusions. We must say goodbye to these illusions. We should not deceive ourselves that there are any other options. They do not exist. Therefore, in the context of Crimea, there should be only one perspective – how to liberate it?", Reznikov also wrote.

The minister has pointed out that delaying or "freezing" the war is against the interests of the entire region.

"The region will lose dynamics while others develop. Therefore, the common interest is to achieve a breakthrough on the battlefield in 2023. To do this, Ukraine needs prompt and sufficient support," the minister said.

He has added that he met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană at the conference to discuss current projects, including NSPA's systematic involvement in modernising defence procurement in Ukraine. "We are preparing a number of very specific initiatives for the NATO Summit in Vilnius," Reznikov announced.

Before that, Ukraine's defence minister also said that he had visited Athens, Nicosia, Madrid and Bucharest with his ministry's team within 10 days of his trip.

"I had fruitful meetings with my counterparts – Greek Defence Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Cypriot Defence Minister Michalis Georgallas, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles, Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr and their teams. The goal remains the same – weapons and other forms of support that strengthen the Ukrainian Defence Forces," Reznikov stated.

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