Under the sound of artillery and firing, he has been updating his audience on the war’s progress and the mood of the nation since February 2022. However, the war is not the only topic he discusses in his videos about the country. Music and history are also themes in his videos. For example, in one of his videos, he talks about the Turkish square in the city of Chernovtsi, and in the other, he introduces Eastern European Jewish music to his audience by playing the song “Hava Nagila” on the accordion. In that vein, he guides cultural tours for Kiev’s leading media organizations. I’m talking about Deniz Berktay, a journalist and Eastern Europe expert who has been living in Kiev for the last 15 years. Berktay, whose latest book “Ukrayna: Dünyanın Siyasi Fay Hattı” (“Ukraine: The World’s Political Fault Line”) was published recently by Cumhuriyet Publications and who is also a permanent member of the Turkey-Ukraine Industrialists and Businesspeople Association, answered the questions about the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine, the rivalry between Ukrainian Chief of Staff General V. Zaluzhny and Ukrainian President V. Zelensky, and Kiev’s relations with its neighbours. Excerpts.
ÖZELGÜN: In one of your broadcasts on YouTube, you mention that Ukraine is fighting a two-front struggle. While there is a struggle against Russia in the east, countries such as Hungary and Slovakia take a stance against Ukraine’s EU membership. Polish farmers are also blocking Ukrainian agricultural products. For instance, according to TVP World’s news, farmers from the association “Deceived Countryside” began a 24-hour blockade of the Polish-Ukrainian border (TVP World, 27. Nov. 2023). Why do you think Hungary and Slovakia are against Ukraine’s EU membership?
BERKTAY: Yes, now there is also a western front. First of all, those western neighbours of Ukraine perceive Ukraine as a rival in many sectors, mainly in agriculture. Secondly, the Hungarian government has close ties with Russia. Thirdly, many countries in Europe are now tired of the war in Ukraine, and the masses in those countries have begun to feel the effects of the war, and many of them do not wish to support the Ukrainian government. However, as we recall, when the war initially erupted, Europe welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But as guest relations have been continuing for almost two years, many of those states have begun changing their attitudes. So, the atmosphere in the West is quite different than last year.
ÖZELGÜN: If we continue from Poland… How might the current political environment in Poland affect Warsaw’s Ukraine policy?
BERKTAY: Nowadays, in Poland, the opposition parties are preparing to form a new government. Those parties, unlike the incumbent Law and Justice party, are advocating closer relations with Brussels and, unlike the aforementioned party, are less interested in the historical disputes with Ukraine. So, there is an impression that, in the case of the formation of the new government, relations between Poland and Ukraine will be more “gently” than now. However, there is an objective conflict of interests between Ukraine and Poland. Under such circumstances, it will not be realistic to expect a radical improvement in bilateral relations.
ÖZELGÜN: To put it in the words of the Ukrainian chief of staff, Gen. V. Zaluzhny, why is there no “deep and beautiful breakthrough” (NY Times, Nov. 2, 2023) on the front for the benefit of Ukraine? Is there a risk that the difference of opinion between Ukrainian President V. Zelensky and the chief of staff in the course of the war will manifest itself as a new revolution in Ukraine?
BERKTAY: Yes, there is serious friction between the two. However, while the US controls most of the political process in Ukraine, it will not be realistic to expect a coup d’état since both of these people tend to have good relations with the West.
ÖZELGÜN: Can the presidential elections in Ukraine, which are supposed to be held on March 31, 2024, according to the constitution, be held while there is martial law resulting from the Russian occupation?
BERKTAY: I don’t think that elections might be held under such conditions. I mean, when there is martial law in Ukraine, everything is under government control. For this reason, the oppositionists in Ukraine don’t wish for elections under those circumstances, since performing elections under martial law will mean giving additional years to the present as a gift.
References
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