“Trump and Putin are two of a kind and they both lie to the stars”
Dirk Tieleman is one of Belgium's most renowned foreign journalists with decades of travel around the world to report, often from places no other journalist had been in years. This also often took him to Russia. In 1988, he went there for the first time as a journalist for the Belgian public broadcaster. He therefore has a more nuanced view of the conflict and how the current situation within Russian society could have arisen.
Following the publication of his book “The Fray of Russia,” the retired journalist spoke with Het Nieuwsblad.
How far does Russia expert Dirk Tieleman think Vladimir Putin will want to continue with this invasion, Het Nieuwsblad asked him.
“I can't see into his soul, but I don't think he wants to advance beyond the former satellite states. As a matter of fact, he doesn't stand a chance. Because if he ever deploys nuclear weapons, he's going to pay very dearly. I don't see him invading other countries right away, but in the meantime he's waging a cyberwar trying to get parties into power by influence all over Europe that won't put anything in his way. Whether on the far right or the far left. And in the United States, he is similarly trying to put Trump in power. He and Putin are two hands on deck. And they both lie to the stars.”
The Belgian experienced journalist suspects that the conflict will drag on for a very long time. According to him, the only realistic solution for Ukraine is a multi-state state with a strong authority manifesting itself against both Europe and Russia.
“Think of Yugoslavia after World War II. The Soviet Union wanted to include Yugoslavia. That was a country with Serbs, Albanians, Croats, Bosnians ... General Tito succeeded in keeping those peoples together on the one hand and, on the other hand, distancing himself from Russia. Okay, Tito was dictatorial, but you need a figure like that in Ukraine. Someone who can hold off Russia but still respect the Russian minority at home.” And Zelensky cannot do that, according to the Belgian journalist. After all, he is too opposed to Putin, it sounds.
(SR for Tagtik/Source: The fray of Russia - Het Nieuwsblad/Illustration picture: Pixabay)