Graham Phillips: "There's No More Ukraine"
PolitNavigator Interviews Graham Phillips
The news about Graham Phillips being wounded caught PolitNavigator reporters at a time they were making a transcript of the interview with this British reporter. It was recorded the day before Graham was wounded.
Graham Philips was working on the militia side and never hesitated to say what he thought about Euromaidan. He also said that the Ukrainian intelligence services consider him an enemy.
Graham Phillips: I was in Odessa when it all began. I remember well my impressions when I arrived in Kiev. I did not recognize the city: there was trash everywhere, fires, clashes, brawls and Molotov cocktails. It was a nightmare. You could see Bandera posters everywhere, some Nazis…
I previously lived and worked in Kiev for two years. It's a beautiful city with wonderful people. Those who stood on the barricades and brutalized Berkut officers were not from Kiev. These people came from Lviv, Ternopil and other places in Western Ukraine. They didn’t care about burning or breaking things, because they were not from Kiev. It was an act of terror, a real terror.
I was wondering back then: how could the US and the EU support this? How can the democratic West support terrorists? But that’s how it was. They encouraged them and provoked all these events.
I was standing next to Lenin monument, which was toppled by the crowd. I remember that this monument has always been there, and no one was paying attention to it. I still do not understand where this act of vandalism came from. Destroying monuments is bad for a country.
There were some guys standing next to it, doing Nazi salutes and yelling Heil Hitler. I wasn’t sure about what was going on, but I knew it was a disaster. I saw that this chaos would spread throughout the country, which is what happened.
A civil war is underway, and it’s not about to end. I know many people in Odessa, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia who are unhappy with what’s going on. Everywhere, there are many people who are being persecuted and are forced to flee the country.
I have many friends in Kiev and other cities, but I was denied entry to Ukraine. The security service will arrest me right away if I go. But there are lots of people like me who live in Ukraine, and it's just lawless behavior on behalf of those who came to power through terror.
I remember Kiev and Ukraine during Euro 2012. It was a fine experience. Everyone was nice and friendly, people were just wonderful. Everyone was like a brother in the fan zones. This will never happen again. Ukraine will never be the same. Everything has changed.
I can say that following Maidan, there’s no more Ukraine and, most importantly, I still don’t understand the point of all of this.
PolitNavigator: What are the similarities and differences of the events in Kiev and Donbas?
Graham Phillips: Oh, the difference is big. I saw it myself and I can confirm that it was the people, not the oligarchs, not the politicians. It was not a “glamorous revolution,” it was the people who took to streets to defend their culture and language. The idea behind the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics is beautiful. People deserve to have their own state. But they won’t be able to make it without Russia’s help in building the banking system, economy and trade.
The republics are already there. I love Donetsk. It looks very much like a British city. It was founded by Hughes. It has a monument to the Beatles, and there’s a hotel named Liverpool. I feel at home here. People are nice. They like to work and they love peace. If it were not for Maidan, nothing of that would have happened. People were very scared by what happened in Kiev, and no one wanted to see the Nazis in Donetsk.
I was in Crimea before the referendum, where people just blocked the isthmus and were ready to defend themselves. The Crimeans really wanted to reunite with their brother, Russia.
PolitNavigator: Were you there during the referendum?
Graham Phillips: Oh, yes. It was a celebration. People were genuinely happy. Crimea is a paradise on earth. I haven’t seen a more beautiful place in my life. Mountains, sea, and lots of space make Crimea look simply breathtaking. In March, the atmosphere there was magical. There were thousands of people with happy faces. Everyone wanted to return to Russia, and when it happened, many could not believe it. I'll never forget those days and the celebration in Sevastopol and Simferopol.
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Source: ukraina.ru. Screenshot: The moment Graham Phillips was wounded (English subtitles)
URL: http://www.a-w-i-p.com/index.php/2014/11/27/graham-phillips-there-s-no
