Russia seeks to use "Yalta Conference" reference to promote spheres of influence – Ukraine’s ex-foreign minister

This opinion was expressed by former Foreign Minister, head of the Center for Russian Studies Volodymyr Ohryzko, who spoke on Radio NV, Ukrinform reports.

"The telecast on the occasion of the Yalta Conference anniversary is only the first step. The next, biggest and loudest, will be on May 9, when Russia will pompously celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory, as they say, in the Great Patriotic War. This is obvious and understandable, because for this mad, sick wannabe-Führer, the topic of returning to the ‘Yalta’, to the division of spheres of influence, to the theory of dividing the world in line with the will of the ‘strong’, etc. is close, because this is what he grew up on during the Cold War," said Ohryzko.

He added that for Putin, it is "absolutely impossible" that Ukraine exist in the Western civilizational space, "in fact, neither in the EU nor in NATO."

According to the diplomat, Russia is currently silent about Ukraine's movement toward the EU, but they may well resort to blocking this process through Hungary, Slovakia, or some other country, because our progress toward the European Union undermines Russia's attempts to absorb Ukraine historically and mentally.

"Putin does not need four additional regions, he does not need Crimea either, he needs Ukrainian history. And to this end, Ukraine must be part of this empire in any form – conquered, semi-conquered, with a puppet government or whatever, but under control. That is why there will be “Yalta”, that is why there will be “great victories”, or anything else to prevent Ukraine and Ukrainians from self-identifying,” the former Foreign Minister predicted.

As reported, Russian officials and occupation authorities in Crimea intend to hold a live teleconference in February, involving studios in Crimea’s Simferopol, as well as in the UK, France, and the USA on the occasion of the anniversary of the Yalta Conference. During the event, Russia intends to promote claims of “Nazism” in Ukraine and the obsolescence of the existing global order.