Our own land was divided this way after World War I and we clearly remember it. So it’s easy for them to draw these lines, but for us as a nation, this is a swim-or-sink moment.
But it doesn’t mean that there can be temporary solutions on the way to restoring territorial integrity. As I said, what we have to ensure is that the idea of recovering these territories should be part of our national identity and national idea.
The Kyiv Independent: But on the way there, can Ukraine find itself in a situation where it’s decided for us what the temporary solution is to end the war?
Dmytro Kuleba: I don’t think so. I hold the position that no one can send Ukraine down the drain except the Ukrainians themselves. No decision can be imposed on Ukraine if we do not agree that it is imposed on us.
When we look at Ukraine from the perspective of today’s headlines in the news and social media, we seem weak, bleeding and exhausted. But when we zoom out, we inevitably come to a conclusion that today Ukraine is in the strongest position ever in its history.
For the first time in hundreds of years, we have the state, the army, and the leadership. With all discussions taking place in the media and on the streets, we have national unity and clear national and political identities. For the first time, we are united in our attitude towards Russia.
And finally, we have partners. We can complain a hundred times about what they’ve done wrong, but they’ve done a lot for us. And this is the first time in history that we have partners who actually stand by us despite all of their shortcomings.
So in this generation, we have no right to lose this struggle, because we are today in the strongest position possible compared to all the preceding generations of Ukrainians who had fought and lost, unfortunately.
We should not repeat their mistakes. And we have all the conditions for that. We don’t have the right not to succeed.