REUTERS
Ukraine should undergo federalization, so that its people can "decide things by themselves in their lives," Russian President Vladimir Putin has said during an interview with German television’s ARD channel.
"Ukraine is a complex country, and not only ethnically, but also as regards its present formation. Is there any future, and what is it like? Certainly there is, I believe. It is a big country with large population of 43-44 million. It is a big European country with a European culture," Putin said.
"You know, there is only one thing missing - there is no understanding of the fact that in order to be successful, stable, prosperous, it is necessary that all the people living in this country, no matter what language they speak (Hungarian, Russian, Ukrainian or Polish), feel that this is their native land.,” Putin said.
“Therefore, they must feel that here they can fully realize their potential, as in some other countries. So I do not understand why some Ukrainian politicians do not even listen to the possibility of federalization."
Putin said Ukrainian politicians’ statements about "decentralization" and not "federalization" were a case of playing with words.
"We must have understanding what all of these concepts imply: decentralization, federalization and regionalization. Dozens of new terms could be coined,” Putin said.
“It is important that people living in that territory realize that they have rights, and that they can determine [what happens in] their lives independently."