Greek diplomat Vassilis Papadopoulos, a former ambassador to Kiev, believes that Ukrainians are fighting to preserve the independence of their country, avoiding assimilation by Russia and the establishment of an objectionable regime.
“I believe in Ukraine, I know exactly what happened when I was there, I assure you that Maidan [no decurso inverno de 2013/2014] It was a real rebellion, and the reason for this is simple: over the past two or three decades, Ukrainians have realized that they prefer to live under a democratic and liberal regime, which [o Presidente da Rússia Vladimir] Putin condemns in the face of a regime like the one that exists in Moscow,” Vassilis Papadopoulos, 63, who took office in Lisbon last December, told Lusa.
Diplomat, writer and polyglot – in addition to his native language, he speaks French, English, Spanish and Russian – he was twice posted to Ukraine: between 1994 and 1996 as first secretary and as ambassador from 2013 to 2016 . as a witness to the radical political changes that took place after the Maidan, which determined in 2014 the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the beginning of the Russian-speaking separatist insurgency in the Donbass.