On 29 May 2024, a “round table” was held on the topic: “Ukraine – Rammstein for enslaved nations in the struggle for freedom” on the premises of the “Media Center” directorate of the State Enterprise “General Directorate for the Service of Foreign Representations”.
During the “round table,” the role and place of Ukraine in supporting the national liberation struggle of the enslaved nations of Russia were discussed: realities and prospects; the work of the Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the development of state policy regarding the enslaved nations of the Russian Federation; the main directions of activity of the Anti-Imperial Block of Nations.
The event was moderated by the Executive Director of the Anti-Imperial Block of Nations, Oleh Vitvitskyi. He started the round table by updating the discussion topic – he explained why Ukraine is an important subject for the enslaved nations of Russia: “Recently, the topic of support for the national liberation struggle of nations enslaved by the Russian Federation is becoming more and more relevant. Almost every month, significant events related to this issue take place in Ukraine. In preparation for today’s event, we did not accidentally choose this name, because Rammstein is a kind of platform for discussing such issues. At the same time, in the literal sense, Rammstein is a stone or a battering ram, which, we hope, will break the last imperial wall in the Eurasian space.”
President of the Anti-Imperial Block of Nations, and Head of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (Banderites ) Oleh Medunytsya thanked the participants of the event for their active interest in the current topic and also told the history of the creation and activity of the ABN, its role in the collapse of the USSR, and today – imperialist Russia. “The Russian Empire rests on fear, on conquered nations,” Oleg Medunytsia emphasized. – We know from history how Russia lost wars because it had internal uprisings. Today, this country fights with the bayonets of enslaved nations and conquered republics. In this context, the task of Ukraine is to help enslaved nations and actively promote the disintegration of the Russian Federation.”
In-depth reports were also presented by: National Deputy of Ukraine Maria Mezentseva; National Deputy of Ukraine, Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Freedom of Speech Yaroslav Yurchyshyn; Director of the non-governmental analytical centre “Ukrainian Studies of Strategic Studies” Yuriy Syrotyuk; Head of the educational project “University of the Free Nations” Leontiy Shipilov; political scientist, and an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Basarab; Inyazor of the Erzyan people, co-founder of the public movement “Free Idel-Ural”, member of the League of Free Nations Syres Bolyaen; Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Independent Tatarstan in exile Aida Abdrakhmanov.
National Deputy of Ukraine Maria Mezentseva informed the audience about the results of the work of the Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on issues of developing state policy regarding the enslaved nations of the Russian Federation and noted: “Internationally, this topic is still undervalued. Russian narratives in their colonial, imperial policy across centuries are not new, but the world still does not understand why such an active aggressive war is being waged against Ukraine. At the April meeting of the PACE, the Ukrainian delegation introduced several amendments to the PACE resolution, which had a positive response among the leaders of the national liberation movements of the enslaved nations.”
National Deputy of Ukraine Yaroslav Yurchyshyn supported his colleague: “I hope that at all international platforms, such as PACE and others,” he noted, “we will be able to become the voice of those who currently have no voice, the nations enslaved by Russia, and we really hope that with time they will get an equal vote. It is necessary to initiate events similar to today’s “round table” on platforms at the international level — this is one of the important tasks of our commission.”
Yuriy Syrotyuk made important points in the discussion: “Today, realizing that the issue of the destruction of Russia is the price of our survival, we must form a coalition that is ready to go towards this goal and support its aims,” Yuriy Syrotyuk emphasized. – In my opinion, this coalition can be the cultivation of a line of “Davids” from representatives of nations enslaved by the Russian Federation, who today see hope in Ukraine to change the geopolitical schedule. In turn, Ukraine must demonstrate that the work front with enslaved nations is our unchanged long-term strategy, with a unified approach and recognition of the right of all enslaved nations and regionalist movements to recognize their own independence and sovereignty.”
During his speech, Leontiy Shypilov spoke about the activities of the “University of the Free Nations” educational project, defining its goal and directions of work: “One aspect of our goal is to provide knowledge about the existing constitutional and legal mechanism, how to protect, how to exercise one’s rights already defined in the system of international legal documents. On the other hand, our goal is to help the elites of the enslaved nations clearly understand the political status of their state formations, what they aspire to, what the structure of their future state should be, and what the economic and political system should be.”
Mykhailo Basarab focused the attention of the participants of the “round table” on the main prerequisite for the global security of Ukraine and the whole world, namely the disappearance of the Russian empire as a historical atavism: “Russia and its allies have violated the balance that was established after the fall of the Soviet empire, but our Western partners still do not show readiness to dismantle the empire, which unfairly and undeservedly remained on the world map. The Russian Empire cannot exist for ideological, mental, philosophical, ethical, and pragmatic reasons.”
Syres Bolyaen spoke about the role of Ukraine in the fate of the enslaved nations during his speech: “Ukraine must become the centre that forms specific meanings, principles, values, proposals, projects for the West regarding the future of the enslaved nations of Russia. We need a clear signal to the enslaved nations, what Ukraine wants and is going to do.”
Aida Abdrakhmanova raised the issue of decolonization and de-imperialization of Russia in her speech: “The struggle against Russian imperialism is what today unites Ukraine and the nations enslaved by Russia, regardless of nationality, social affiliation or religion. We have a common enemy, Russia, and we have the same goal — to win independent democratic states without Russia or Russian interference. One of our strategic goals is to reveal the essence of Russian imperialism, and its expansionist character. We must silence the voice of “good Russians” regarding the possibility of building a beautiful Russia of the future.”
Oleksandr Musienko, Head of the Centre for Military and Legal Studies, Anatoliy Kurnosov, expert of the Centre for Political Studies “Doctrine”, Ruslan Gabbasov, Head of the Committee of the Bashkir National Movement Abroad and leading analyst of the non-governmental analytical centre “Ukrainian Studies of Strategic Studies” Yury Oliynyk and others joined the active discussion.
