Russia’s brutal aggression in Ukraine united the majority of the population and definitively decided the country’s pro-Western future course. However, a large number of pro-Russian Ukrainians still look east to their larger neighbor, despite atrocities committed by the Russian military in the country. “A trip to Donbas can be very relaxing for someone who doesn’t know the situation,” says journalist Tomáš Vlach.
Highlights, Vlach: Many people will be cruelly aware in Donbass. Many citizens still want Russia Video: Aktualně.cz
The journalist believes that if Ukraine succeeds in repelling Russian aggression and taking control of Donbass, the region should be returned to Ukraine, including its occupied territories, without a doubt. “However, the main challenge is to win the hearts of the people living here and convince them that the new regime and government are better for them than the previous regime. Perhaps financial support and educational activities will be needed to gain recognition of the previous regime and government. new authority and support for the region,” added the journalist.
Regarding Crimea, the situation is more complicated, according to Vlach, who visited the country several times before the state of war and returned there frequently after February 2022. There is a strong pro-Russian sentiment on the island, and many people identify with Russia or the Soviet Union . If Crimea returns to Ukrainian control, it is important for Ukraine to act respectfully and avoid mass deportations or punishments. “It is important to prevent a repeat of past mistakes – such as those that occurred after the Second World War – that led to the removal of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia,” Vlach noted.
You can watch the entire interview below at the end of the article or listen to it on your favorite podcast app. What is the main theme?
0:40 – 5:20 According to journalist Tomáš Vlach, what is currently most hindering Ukraine’s counteroffensive?
5:20 – 12:00 How would Ukraine fare with help from the West? What role did Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Wheat Treaty play? Will there be more revenge for the attack on the Kerch bridge connecting Russia with Crimea? And what will be the impact after the destruction of the Kachovská Dam?
12:00 – 16:13 What challenges do journalists reporting on the conflict now face and, according to Tomáš Vlach, what should they focus on?
16:13 – 21:55 On why he agrees with journalist Petra Procházková’s claim that not everyone in the Donbas region wants to be freed. According to him, what awaits the Donbass region and Crimea after Ukraine’s victory?
21:55 – 23:14 Vlach visited Ukraine long before the Russian invasion – was he surprised that Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion?
23:14 – 26:38 What was the Vlach’s strongest experience from this war?
Aktuálně.cz Highlights – Tomáš Vlach | Video: Jakub Zuzanek
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