Putin’s ex-diplomat unpacks
“There is only one way to win the war”
He worked for the Kremlin for 20 years. Now he lives in a top-secret place in Switzerland: the ex-diplomat Boris Bondarev tells how the West can ensure peace in the long term.
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Boris Bondarev (right) worked for the Russian Foreign Ministry for 20 years. After the war began, he turned his back on his country.
After 20 years at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Boris Bondarev (43) turned his back on the Kremlin. The reason: Putin’s war of aggression. “Never have I been so ashamed of my country,” wrote the former UN envoy in an angry letter in May 2022. The Kremlin’s powerful would only wage the war “to live forever in pompous, tasteless palaces and sail on yachts to be able to». Since his departure, Bondarev has lived in a top-secret location in Switzerland and is under police protection.
Now the ex-diplomat is commenting on the war – and saying what the only way is to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin (70) to his knees. “The only way for the West to win the war is to decide what it wants to see as a result of the war,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
Putin remains “extremely dangerous” after defeat
what does he mean with that? In the West, there is a widespread view that the goal is the liberation of Ukrainian territory. “That’s okay. But will you deal with Putin afterwards? Will everything be back to normal then? Or do you understand that Putin and his regime are the greatest threat to international peace and security – and not the war against Ukraine?”
That’s why the former Kremlin official is warning the West that the war against Ukraine is just a symptom of Putin’s obsession with power. “If he keeps his power, then he will be a threat.” Even after a war defeat, Putin remains extremely dangerous and will do everything “to harm the United States and the West.”
According to Bondarev, the West should not be content with liberating Ukraine. He calls for the fall of the Putin regime. That is precisely why it is crucial not to shy away from fear of a nuclear escalation. As long as Putin is in power, Bondarev is certain that the nuclear threat will remain. (bab)