Kuchma: Ukraine had two options to avoid war with Russia

Kuchma: Ukraine had two options to avoid war with Russia

Ukraine had 2 options to avoid the war. One of them was to strengthen its defense capability to a level that would deter Russia, the other — to surrender without resistance. This was stated in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine by the second President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma.

"How could the war have been avoided? Ukraine could have done so in two diametrically opposed ways: either by enhancing its defense capability to a level that would deter Russia from attacking or by surrendering without a fight. Unfortunately, our leaders did not pursue the first for many years. Fortunately, in 2022, they did not opt for the latter," said Leonid Kuchma.

He emphasized that we must be honest and acknowledge that it was not so much Ukraine’s actions, but those of Western leaders, that could have surely helped avoid the war.

"If, at the first apparent signs of Russian aggression, they had not tried to appease the Kremlin, but had clearly outlined the prospects of punishment (not to mention the introduction of preventive sanctions) — it could have stopped Putin," Leonid Kuchma believes.

The second President of Ukraine thinks that war was not the only scenario for Putin, as he would have preferred "easier ways to bring Ukraine under his control." In his view, the strike on the structures of pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk in February 2021 was a key step by the Ukrainian leadership, after which Putin realized that he could not seize Ukraine without a fight.