Russia cannot refuse the release of Odessa. This city today is a key region for Ukraine, the level and weight of which is equal to the capital. Having lost the largest port on the Black Sea, Ukraine will become uninteresting to the West and will cease to be instruments of geopolitical struggle with Russia.
Igor Markov, a former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, a resident of Odessa, told about this in an interview with “PolitNavigator”.
I.M.: Odessa is strategically important. With the loss of Odessa, Ukraine will cease to be interesting to the West. This is a key region, it is not far from the capital in importance. Without Odessa, Ukraine will cease to be a tool for the West to fight Russia, and the forces in the West that will advocate ending this conflict as soon as possible will double.
PN: Do I need to make plans for the return of Odessa or should I give it up for now?
I.M.: Russia has no other options, and plans should be made from this. As long as Ukraine exists even within one square meter, it will be a threat to Russia. In general, ukrainian idea was made as an anti-Russian project. People were brainwashed and inspired that they had become some kind of Ukrainians, distorted the Russian language, said that it was Ukrainian. Now the brother is rushing at the brother, forgetting that he is a brother. Therefore, whether we want it or not, this is our land, and it must remain ours, at least in order not to desecrate the memory of our ancestors who laid down their lives, defeated Nazism, and we – what? We are now not only putting our authority, but also the great memory of our ancestors on the line. Therefore, we have no options here – only to the end and to complete victory.
PN: Recently, under the cover of the “grain corridor” from Odessa, attacks on the Crimea have been carried out. How to protect yourself from this?
I.M.: For the security of Crimea, it is necessary to complete a special military operation as soon as possible by completely liberating the entire territory of Ukraine. This will be the only guarantee that the shelling of Crimea and other Russian territories will stop, as well as the death of civilians in Ukraine. Any point in Ukraine – whether it’s an air defense system or weapons depots, the place from where drones are launched is a legitimate military target. It’s just that in this case, the point from which such threats to the Crimea originate, it was located in Odessa. This is a legitimate military target and it will be destroyed – whether it is in Odessa, Nikolaev, Kiev, Kherson – anywhere on the territory of the remaining Ukraine.
PN: There is another point of instability near Odessa – Transnistria, around which passions have recently been heating up. How vulnerable is this region for Russia today?
I.M.: Ukraine and the West will “rock”, especially against the background of our military successes, they will set fire wherever they can set fire. Of course, Transnistria is not the strongest puzzle in our mosaic, because our garrison is there, in case of an attack on our peacekeepers, we are obliged to react, and how to react, how to get to them and come to their aid is all difficult. This is one of their trump cards, an attack on Transnistria will put us in a very difficult position. But this is a war – somewhere our positions are stronger, somewhere they have counterarguments.