She is a small and elegant woman who radiates energy and determination. Marina Litvinenko He accepts El Periódico from the band Prensa Ibérica in a cafe near London’s Victoria station, where he stuns. Very critical discourse with voices that do not act decisively in the West and they advocate reconciliation with Vladimir Putin. Despite her husband Aleksándr Litvinenko’s horrific polonium poisoning in 2006 and her legal battle with British authorities to have the murder recognized as a political crime committed by the Russian State, she describes herself as “happy and satisfied”. However, almost 20 years after her death, “people continue to talk about Sasha”, a familiar Russian abbreviation of her husband’s name.
How do you evaluate the political situation in Russia today? Is the regime strong?
What is happening in Russia today is the natural result of the conditions that have developed over the last 22-23 years under Putin’s administration. Despite the murders, arrests, and crushing of democracy, This collective West continued to work together. Putin’strading with himtrying to find a common language; The dialogue continued with him and they closed their eyes despite what he had done. This war showed who Putin really is. You need to know the history of the Soviet Union, which always makes the situation look better than it is. In my opinion, the sanctions imposed too late did not destroy the economy quickly enough to stop the war. But it’s clear (country) a Titanic heading towards the icebergAnd no matter what he does, he won’t be able to come back. There is a collapse in the economy and it is possible that this will happen with the disintegration of the country. Leaders in the West fear the disintegration of Russia and are determined to maintain the status quo. However, as Putin remains in power, this threat of disintegration will become more real.
Do you think the West is always late to Putin?
Unfortunately, the West has always been late so far. While sending weapons and supporting Ukraine. As for the sanctions against Russia, it must be said that they are not as crushing as they should be; There will always be countries like Austria that continue to buy 50% of their natural gas from Russia, and then use the money to buy weapons. Not only are Ukrainians being killed, but Russians are also being forced to go to war. They close their eyes to trade through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan… All of this helps Russia’s economy to survive and the war to continue. Before the invasion, when Russia surrounded Ukraine with military forces, the West merely warned about the imposition of sanctions. They should have been implemented already then! It is in no one’s interest to prolong the war these days. It is true that sanctions harm the economies of many countries, but unfortunately there is no other way. Saying that we are tired of supporting Ukraine is not an option. Because you would be acting against your own country’s interests and deceiving your own voters.
How do you evaluate the situation within the regime?
I am told that I have no right to talk about what is happening in Russia because I am outside the country. This is a criticism coming from people close to the regime in the interior of the country. There is a Russian proverb that says ‘closeness is seen from afar’. If you move away from a painting, you will see it better. In my personal opinion, what is happening in Russia is a kidnap syndrome. Those who intervene to support Putin do so out of fear, they are terrified. These people are just trying to get out of this situation. Many people think that it is better to shout for Putin, but in reality life has become very difficult for people in Russia deep down. Because this stability and the guarantees that Putin was always proud of (he always said that the world was in crisis and Russia was an island of prosperity) have disappeared. In fact, when we look back at Putin’s career, we see that what he did was start a war. And people were forced to believe that only he could defend them. It started the second Chechen war, then the Georgian war and, in fact, the Ukrainian war, which started in 2014.
Do you think there are problems within the regime?
There are huge problems. Even though I am not a political scientist, there are some factors that make me suggest this. There has never been unity in Putin’s environment. The only unity was that Putin guaranteed stability, money and privileges to all clans. It is clear that for a long time the main beneficiaries were the secret services, especially the FSB, while the Army remained somewhat on the sidelines. according to me This war initiated by the armyBecause they were not provided with either property or the opportunity to transfer this money abroad. I am sure that both in 2014, when the war in Ukraine really began, and in 2018, when Putin elected him, it was clear what the program would be: militarism. I’ll give you an example: the poisoning of (Sergei) Skripal. This was not an indication of Putin’s power. This was a demonstration by the military to Putin, and Putin told him: ‘You will only be a military leader, a warrior leader.’ Presidential elections were held in March, and a few days ago Skripal was poisoned. This did not benefit Putin. But yes to the military, which does not want Putin to start peace talks or find meeting points (with the West). Putin then wanted to preserve the fear-based status quo by saying, ‘I will be your bastard, but I will attend your meetings.’ Skripal’s poisoning (carried out by the GRU, the military intelligence agency NDR) was a warning from the military that there would only be conflict with the West. Seeing what is happening between the army and (Yevgeny) Prigozhin’s private militia and the conflict between them confirms my opinion.
Is it possible for a civil war to break out in Russia?
Just as the dissolution of the USSR cannot be predicted, a coup cannot be expected either. During the coup against Mikhail Gorbachev (1991), the people said they did not agree with it. And it was no different town from today. Those who took to the streets prevented the usurpation of sovereignty. The most interesting thing was that the Army did not support the coup. According to me, The army wants to seize all power. This can happen in many ways and in a very short time. If the situation at the front continues as it has been so far, with losses and mistakes, it is likely that they (military commanders) will come to the conclusion that it is important to start peace talks.
What will happen when the war is over and Russia looks in the mirror and thinks not only about the losses, but also about the crimes committed in a sister country like Ukraine?
This is something that did not happen during the collapse of the USSR, people were not given the opportunity to know about the crimes committed during the 70 years (of the Soviet regime), there was no trial of the Communist Party, there was no trial. The trial of Stalin… The Communist Party remained and no one talked about its crimes, the genocides committed against entire peoples.. All this prevented people from looking in the mirror. And something terrible happened. Putin used all this to create a new ideology. He told the Russians that they were deceived. But if they had known how their (arrested) neighbors were taken away, they would have looked at things differently. The archives were open only for a year or two, when people could come and see with their own eyes, find their relatives (who disappeared during the USSR). They haven’t stopped closing and closing since then.