Never mind territories. It's not important. What matters are human lives.
Nikolaï
Nikolaï was born in Ukraine in the late 1980's when it was still part of the Soviet Union and grew up there surrounded by his half-Russian half-Ukrainian family. A couple of weeks ago, he was approached by Sud Radio, a French mainstream radio station, to share his story and view of the situation in Ukraine, which he did in a much unbiased and apolitical way. However, with War is Peace being the new normal, some powerful vested interests sent out their minions to do the dirty work and the video was quickly deleted. A very stupid move that resulted in the video going viral in French-speaking countries. Now, if you truly stand for Peace, you can do the same with this dubbed version in English with embedded subtitles for the hearing-impaired. You don't have to be pro-Poutine nor pro-Zelensky — just pro-Life. Please, share this video.
Ey@elBourdin Invites a Ukrainian Who Is Seeking Peace
J.J. BOURDIN: Let's hear more on the war between Ukraine and Russia. A year of warfare with this account from Nikolaï who lives in Bastia. Good morning Nikolaï!
NIKOLAÏ: Good morning Jean-Jacques! Good morning to all your guests!
J.J. BOURDIN: Thank you for joining us, Nikolaï. Let me sum up… Correct me if I'm wrong : You are Ukrainian. You were born in Dnipro in 1987. 1987, that was during the era of the USSR. You came to France in 2002. Half your family is Russian, the other half is Ukrainian. How's this war like for you?
NIKOLAÏ: Well, listen… it's exactly as you said. Very, very weird. For even today, being in touch with my family… one side is very… Actually, it's amazing because of how they hated Zelensky just before the conflict began. Now they're rooting for him. And the other half, who also lives in Ukraine, is even afraid to speak on the phone for fear of being sanctioned by the SBU… you know the political police you get during wartime.
J.J. BOURDIN: Yes, political police you get everywhere else by the way.
NIKOLAÏ: Exactly.
J.J. BOURDIN: On the Ukrainian side, huh?
NIKOLAÏ: Exactly.
J.J. BOURDIN: Your Russian side of the family… I mean your Russian family, are they still living in Ukraine?
NIKOLAÏ: Yes, yes, of course. Especially since my family is on the eastern side. You know, really on the border of the trouble areas of Donbas where the conflict initially started.
J.J. BOURDIN: Oh yes, okay… So obviously, they are afraid to speak out. And the other Ukrainian family who was… but I've had several accounts supporting that… they were anti-Zelensky and are now of course rooting for the Ukrainian power because they are patriots.
NIKOLAÏ: Well, no. Not because they are patriots! I'm sorry because, at some point, as soon as the conflict began, all opposition parties in Ukraine were banned. All the TV channels that kind of offered an alternative to the ruling power have either been closed or co-opted by the Ukrainian power. You have to take that in consideration as it didn't happen just like that. Then, overnight, Zelensky became an angel whereas he was one of the most corrupt guys in the world. And he was featured in the Pandora Papers. I don't know how a criminal, a Mafioso suddenly came out as a hero,
while actually he's just a clown who was brought into office by very powerful Ukrainian oligarchs such as Kolomoyskyi.
J.J. BOURDIN: No, but Nikolaï, you're contradicting yourself!
NIKOLAÏ: Er… in what way?
J.J. BOURDIN: You're saying that all your family was rooting for Zelensky. Are they or are they not?
NIKOLAÏ: They are NOW. They are now because all day long they are being subjected to state propaganda with no other option.
J.J. BOURDIN: But are they for that reason or rather because they condemn the Russian invasion?
NIKOLAÏ: Well, they do condemn the Russian invasion, of course, since Russia had been presented to them as the absolute aggressor with no other option.
J.J. BOURDIN: Wait… so according to you, Nikolaï, they condemn Russia because of how it's been presented to them? Not because they're getting bombed?
NIKOLAÏ: Well, that does obviously help! The thing is, when you get bombed, most of the time you don't know who's shooting. You're hidding in a bunker or a basement and you're scared. Then you watch the news to hear who's been shooting at you. Are we told the truth? I leave it to the discretion of newscasters.
J.J. BOURDIN: Okay. Nikolaï, do you want Russia to invade your country?
NIKOLAÏ: No, I don't want Russia to invade my country. I want this war to end as soon as possible. I want Zelensky's government to be held accountable. For let's not forget the crimes committed in Donbas. There were so many and they're still being committed. I wish there were negociations. I want Ukraine to reembark on the path to democracy, namely that we get back to the polls to elect an new government to put a more balanced team in place. Because, at some point, in Ukraine, we had forces… you know, you also have the far right in France. We know what far right forces are like… Well, in Ukraine, we have the same thing. It was a very small group of nationalists and, at some point, they got propelled at the highest levels of power in a way… er… brutally and they did things that resulted in the current situation we're in that got the Russian-speaking population to be repressed.
J.J. BOURDIN: The current situation does not result from this. The current situation is because a country has invaded another.
NIKOLAÏ: No, of course, the current situation pre-dates that. You know… you are French, you must know Montesquieu? Sorry, on one hand you've got the war makers, but those who are ultimately responsible are the ones who make war inevitable.
J.J. BOURDIN: Yes, it's sadly true. I do agree Nikolaï.
NIKOLAÏ: We totally agree. The situation in Ukraine has escalated over 8 years ago.
And today, with the Russian capital actually being located approximately 300 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's position to become pro-NATO was clearly not sustainable for Russia. Vital interests were at stake. Remember the Cuban crisis where it's all very simple. When the Russians tried to install missiles in Cuba, look how the United States responded. They nearly set the world ablaze.
J.J. BOURDIN: No missiles were ever installed in Ukraine to threaten Russia. No Western country ever said that they aimed at invading Russia. None did, Nikolaï.
NIKOLAÏ: Invading Russia is just not possible! However, putting them at a competitive disadvantage, that's another story.
J.J. BOURDIN: Well…
NIKOLAÏ: That's another story. There is one more thing I would like to say : war is wrong. And in politics, there are no good guys and bad guys. There are only interests. That's it. And here, one country's vital interests have been targeted and turned into this fratricidal warfare. For they are brother nations. And what's going on in Ukraine greatly upsets me.
J.J. BOURDIN: I can understand…
NIKOLAÏ: And I just want to say that the role of the West… why I will not accept it? Because today, by actually sending weapons to Ukraine, by supporting Zelensky and further impelling him along the war path — and yet, that's changing now — they make my Ukrainian brothers today actually being mobilised and butchered in Bakhmut and other places where they get slaughtered for whose's interests? I wish we could regain peace. Never mind territories, it's not important. What matters are human lives.
J.J. BOURDIN: Yes, human lives matter on both sides, my dear Nikolaï.
NIKOLAÏ: Of course. Of course.
J.J. BOURDIN: Russian soldiers too are being sent to the front, often with obsolete equipment as you know it, Nikolaï. They are being slaughtered too. Well, Nikolaï, I will have to cut this conversation short for we have another topic at hand. Less concerning, but all voices are good to hear and all voices are being heard in here. You know, I'm absolutely committed to that. Anyway, thank you for calling, Nikolaï.
NIKOLAÏ: Well, thank you for your invitation and peace be with you all!
J.J. BOURDIN: Thank you very much.
Sources
Original text by NIKOLAÏ transcribed and translated from French by EY@EL
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