Ukraine's former president: Putin's obsession with Ukraine could be mental disorder

Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be obsessed with Ukraine due to a mental disorder and warned that the US would "lose face before world" if it left Ukraine without aid.

Soucre: Kuchma in an interview with The Guardian

Quote: "People say his obsession with Ukraine is a kind of mania or mental disorder. Maybe it’s true."

Details: In an interview with the publication, Kuchma described Putin as a career operative of the KGB. "It’s his profession, with everything that implies," he said.

Kuchma said that on 24 February 2022, he and his wife Liudmyla were in the centre of Kyiv during the Russian attack. "I was sure Putin was capable of invading but not sure whether he would decide to invade," he said.

"It was terrible, a shock. I saw two [Russian] bombers flying over my head in the street," Kuchma recalled.

Kuchma says that Putin's goal was not only to seize land, but also to destroy the very "concept" of Ukraine as a "competitive alternative to Russia." "The proof of this is the terrible human losses and reputational sacrifices that Putin is willing to make for this," he suggested.

The former president said that he believed in the victory of Ukraine even against the weakening of Western aid and expressed hope that the White House would be able to pass a law on aid to Ukraine. Ukraine's defeat will mean that the USA loses face before the whole world, Kuchma emphasised.

He added it is naïve to think that Putin will agree to peace talks. "Putin can't sign a document which states that he didn't get what he wanted [in Ukraine]. He would have to explain this to the Russian people. He’s the leader of Russia," Kuchma concluded.

Support UP or become our patron!