Journalist: Putin had the idea to capture Crimea since 2008
In an interview with journalist Yury Dud, Alexei Venediktov, journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Echo of Moscow, claimed that Vladimir Putin came up with the idea to occupy the Crimea sometime around 2008.
“And, probably, there were plans made, in due order by the Joint Staff, and when the authorities in Kyiv crumbled, [when they] fell during the time of Maidan (Ukrainian Revolution), Putin thought that he could line it up. If Yanukovych had stayed, it’s unclear whether the Crimea would have been returned [to Russia]. But it worked out like this, the stars aligned, so [the occupation] successfully occurred,” noted the journalist.
According to Venediktov, Putin will aim to remain in power in perpetuity due to two conditions: “one, the initial one, is the security factor. That is – if I left, who would guarantee the security of me and my family? In a narrow sense of the word, and in a broad sense of the word.”
But if it were only due to this factor, he would still be able to get around it, noted the journalist.
“After Crimea, a second factor emerged. Before Crimea, I had never heard Putin speak of a mission….and after Crimea, this was 2008 then, it was clear that the Crimea would be in children’s textbooks. A mission emerged, for the restoration, the consolidation, the connection of the Russian Empire, the Russian world, no matter [what happened with] the USSR. And this mission has not been fulfilled. And while it has not been fulfilled, he will not leave. And it will never be fulfilled, because such a mission does not have an end. Will we stop in Syria? Will we stop in Canada? Will we stop within the Slavic community? Or in New York? I believe that this connection, between security and this same Russian world or mission, does not give him the possibility to leave,” noted Venediktov.
According to Venediktov, the most important result for Putin in the upcoming elections is to receive a majority of votes in the annexed Crimea.