In an interview recorded on Feb. 23rd, Buzarov says the Russians have invaded and violated Ukrainian sovereignty. Buzgalin says the people of Donbass have a right to independence if they choose, but a peace movement should be built to oppose the oligarchs and bureaucrats on all sides who are inflaming the situation for profits.
This interview was conducted on February 20th, one day before Russia recognized Donetsk and Luhansk.
Much has been said about the ongoing global conflict between American imperialism and the Russian bear, which appears to have awoken from its long winter slumber. Global public opinion has been bombarded with a slew of misinformation and misinterpretations based on the ideological biases of various media outlets. With massive propaganda exercises on both the Western and Russian sides, the information war has clearly reached a new high point. We appear to be witnessing a form of propaganda retaliation on the part of the Russians who were accused of wanting to invade and destabilize Ukraine in recent days. They are now accusing Ukraine of planning an attack on the country’s two breakaway republics in the east.
The big powers are treating Ukraine like a piece of garbage throughout this game. And no one is asking what the future of Ukrainian society should be. We all know that a full-fledged war is the worst-case scenario. But what are the alternatives? Can the powers that be in Russia, the United States, and Ukraine actually prevent war? Is it possible to reach some minimum agreements? Who is most interested in maintaining tensions and who is most interested in peace?
This interview was conducted on February 19th, two days before Russia recognized Donetsk and Luhansk.
In the midst of the escalating tensions in and around Ukraine, the hosts of “On the barricades” have invited a special guest who is a political scientist, security analyst, and academic currently residing in Kiev. Andrey Buzarov is originally from Donyetsk, and he not only shares his expertise and comments on current events, but he also provides an insightful perspective of someone who is on the ground in Kiev and has relatives living in East Ukraine.
Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski speak with Andrey about the events of the last 72 hours, which appear to show that another massive escalation is taking place. Is this just another propaganda exercise this time on the part of the Russians? Is a Ukrainian invasion of the breakaway republics really a threat? What do Ukrainian politicians hope for? Is Zelensky’s game as clever as it appears? Are there any negotiations going on behind closed doors? How does the sudden escalation of tensions affect Ukrainian society?