Oleg Tsarev: the Ukrainian authorities understand only force

A Ukrainian politician and former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, who received a real prison term because of his public pro-Russian position. He assessed the events on Maidan as an artificially created political crisis and a criminal provocation staged by the hands of Western intelligence agencies. He called for a forceful crackdown on protesters and stated that "no government should negotiate with bandits and extremists”. He considers the current Kiev regime illegitimate. He is a supporter of integration and close cooperation between Russia and Ukraine.

In an interview with the RUSSTRAT Institute, Oleg Tsarev spoke about the current confrontation in Ukraine, the priority political and economic tasks that need to be solved in the liberated territories, as well as how he sees the future path of our two peoples. 

New laws for the liberated territories

- Oleg Anatolyevich, your idea of creating military-state administrations on the liberated territories has caused great resonance and support. It was supported by the political leadership of Russia, which gave the necessary instructions for it. How do you see this work, what are its main tasks?

I can't say that this is my personal idea. There is simply no other scheme of work on the territories that are being liberated by Russian troops. It is logical that the military commandant's office, which by its very name does not deal with civil issues, of course, should organise a structure that will deal with issues of peaceful life. Such a scheme was in all the territories that were liberated by the Red Army, and then the Soviet one, this is a logical and well-developed scheme. It was implemented in Europe, Chechnya, and Afghanistan. In any "hot spots". So there is no need to invent anything else here.

Since I spent about a month near Kiev, and there were no commandant's offices or civil-military administrations, all this was not structured, and it was obvious what needed to be done. Therefore, having arrived from near Kiev, I raised the question that this process urgently needs to be formalised. As well as many processes that are not formalised in our territories now. And it is necessary to do this, and promptly. The rapid return of the people who live there to a normal peaceful life depends on such decisions.

When we were working on the creation of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, we held a referendum, we created a parliament, the parliament passed laws and the republics began to develop according to them. What's going on now? To date, we still have a certain legal vacuum on the liberated territories. We are creating a militia, we are creating civil-military administrations, we are starting economic activity, but according to what laws it is not yet clear. For these people to live now according to the Ukrainian legislation would be, to put it mildly, stupid even for formal reasons. According to Ukrainian legislation, all our military – if we follow the letter of the Ukrainian law – would have to be urgently arrested and handed over to the Ukrainian court.

Because according to their laws, our guys are enemies or traitors to the Motherland. Therefore, of course, I support the only reasonable point of view. We need to implement in these territories Russian legislation, because it is still unclear under what laws the police is working there.

What is known as, according to the "laws of conscience", and it is different for everyone, especially now, when people are in the most difficult circumstances there. Both material and emotional ones, there's nothing to hide. And when a person has power, it should be clearly spelled out what they should and must do, and what – should never be done and under no circumstances. It is good that now we have mostly decent, understanding and honest people there, but the presence of uniform norms and laws is, of course, necessary.

- I.e. the first steps are the urgent introduction of fully-fledged authorities?

Now the main step is the introduction of military commandant's offices on the liberated territories and the organisation of trials–tribunals. We have people for this – here in Russia, who can go there and organise a normal law there. And the next step is the organisation of economic law and economic activity. This also needs to be organised promptly, you understand – there is already economic activity there. And then the deliveries will begin, the inevitable shortfalls, mutual claims and so on. People need to be given a mechanism to solve economic relations. And then you know, at such times, everyone is nervous. So there is no need to provoke people into decisions like "pick up a stick and have a showdown." To solve economic disputes in this way is no good.

Restoration of mutual trust and return to good neighbourliness

- Do you remember your first feelings when you, together with the units of the Russian army and the L/DPR, found yourself on the liberated territories?

When I crossed the border of Ukraine – you know, it's a difficult feeling. On the one hand, there was such a very short joy that I am back in Ukraine, and on the other... after that we were traveling in a convoy, came under fire, people died. And there were wounded. These are all so acute and contradictory feelings that they probably simply cannot be formulated somehow. People are dying. Ordinary peaceful civilians are dying on both sides. It should not be like that, it cannot be the norm, it is unthinkable and contrary to human nature, such are the feelings.

- Oleg Anatolyevich, is the restoration of trust and mutual understanding between the residents of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions and Russia a long process? How will it be built?

I think there won't be any special problems. I visit these places from time to time, I visit the territory of both the Zaporozhye region and the Kherson region. Many people were waiting for us there. Many have considered us favourably. Some people observed what all of this would result in, and now they are also changing their point of view. People simply draw conclusions from the actions of the Ukrainian authorities. They are now shelling Kherson, hitting the civilian population. It would be understandable if there were military units there, but there are no. There are – and all sides know this – civilians. Well, how will people treat Ukraine after this? Yes, the intensity of the shelling of Kherson is not as high as in the case of Donetsk, but in fact it is still shelling. The Ukrainian government has already thrown these people out of its population, and is taking revenge, considering them enemies.

In general, as soon as people in Ukraine have the opportunity to get an alternative point of view, and not the monstrous propaganda that ordinary Ukrainians are fed from day to day, people begin to rethink what is happening. And propaganda stops working.

- If we are talking about total propaganda, which is destructive for people and conducted by the Ukrainian authorities, then to what extent can it reach?

To the very extreme one, we see it. It won't get any better, it can only get worse with the current Kiev regime.

For a very long time in Ukraine, a number of well-known politicians and journalists have been following this line, separating us into different sides. Saying that Ukrainians are not Russians, and that Russians are enemies.

The population of Ukraine on those territories that are still under the Kiev authorities really believes this. And they themselves do not realise in what monstrous categories they are forced to think. Yes, you can't kill a person, but you can kill Russians, because they are not people.

Whereas in Ukraine, people are good everywhere. When I'm told in response, like saying, well, Western Ukraine does not like us, I say that I graduated from school in Ternopol. Believe me, the people are really good.

Politicians who purposefully play people off against each other and support radicalisation are another matter. Remove these politicians, and everything will be fine. People everywhere in Ukraine are simple and hardworking. Politicians lead to war. And they – yes, they need to be shot.

Look, what happened? The whole world called Russian troops "polite people" when Crimea returned to Russia. Because Russian guys are really like that. Before my eyes, the Russian troops behaved just as politely near Kiev. While we are told that Russians are stealing toilet bowls, that they organised Bucha, who can believe it, except for those who have only heard about Russians on TV? And what is interesting - they mean that Russians shot everyone in Bucha, so, were it some different Russians who entered Kherson and Zaporozhye regions? Well, it doesn't stand up to any criticism. As soon as you apply logic to events, everything, lies crumble before your eyes. Because it's a lie. It doesn't live long.

Up to what point should Russia go

- Oleg Anatolyevich, in the light of what you have said, to what point should Russia go?

I understand Zelensky's logic well. He is from Krivoy Rog, Dnepropetrovsk region, and I was born in Dnepropetrovsk and studied this mentality quite well. You probably know such a word – "chutzpah"? Such reckless, boundless super-impudence. So, if the current Kiev regime is left at least a patch of territory, it will shoot at peaceful people who have reunited with Russia. If to leave even a centimetre of the gas pipeline, it will bargain, pull the blanket over itself, slip out, twist and lie endlessly.

And, believe me, this cannot be stopped by any agreements and arrangements, the Minsk Agreements are proof of that. There is only one way out - only a trial and only a thorough and impartial analysis of what the illegitimate Kiev authorities have done in the country.

These people, who have already committed an incredible number of crimes, understand only one argument – force. And only it is able to break them.

As long as there is at least a small territory called Ukraine, it will act in its usual, frankly fascist and terrorist logic. Hatred will be imposed there. Saboteurs will come out from there. The society there will help the regime with money. And their demands will not stop. They will demand to return the territories, to answer according to their insane laws, to pay some kind of indemnity or whatever else they come up with there. By the way, they will come up with anything, the most incredible, which is impossible to imagine.

But when there is no one to demand back the territory, then – and only then – the issue will close by itself.

- Thank you for the conversation and your position!