In an interview with HotNews.ro, Ihor Korkhovy, Deputy Minister of Community Development of Ukraine, tells Europeans who are protesting against high energy prices and those who demand the easing of sanctions applied to Russia, that consumers in the EU pay in euros, Ukrainians pay with human lives. in the war started by Russia.

In November 2021, Ukraine became the first non-EU country to chair the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, a European cooperation format through which the European Union directs EU funds to cross-border projects in the EU and non-EU riparian countries, including including Romania, for the comprehensive development of this macro-region.

Subsequently, in February 2022, the troops of the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, but the Ukrainians managed to fulfill their mandate. Ukraine handed over the chairmanship of the Danube Strategy to Slovenia at a short ceremony at the annual Danube Region Strategic Forum 2022. The event was supposed to take place in Kyiv, but due to the war, it was hosted by the Slovak city of Kosice.

Here I found Ihor Korkhovoy, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine in the field of European integration. It was the Ukrainian government official who directly coordinated the Ukrainian presidency in this format of cooperation.

Video interview with Deputy Minister of Ukraine Ihor Korkhov:

HotNews.ro: When did Ukraine assume the presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region?

Igor Korkhovy: In November 2021, our delegation went to Bratislava for the 10th annual Forum, and then we presided in Kyiv for a whole year. So from November 2021, I took over the chairmanship of the EU Danube Strategy, prepared and approved the program adopted by our cabinet. With the support of strategic points for the Danube, together with our colleagues in Slovakia and Slovenia, we started the chairmanship, but unfortunately on 24 February 2022 we had to interrupt it for two months due to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. . Then, when we were able to take it up again in May, we resumed our chairmanship and went ahead, adjusted the schedule a bit and completed all the tasks that we had originally planned.

HotNews.ro: We are in Kosice, in Slovakia, there is peace here. How is it for you, as a citizen of Ukraine and as a Ukrainian official, when you know that your country is under attack?

Igor Korkhovy: Thanks to our Slovak colleagues, we have this place in Kosice. This annual forum was part of our presidential program and our duty, and it had to be organized. We are grateful to our helpful colleagues, the European Commission, for giving us the opportunity to do this. Personally, I have very high emotions. I hardly slept these two days. If I’m sitting with the window open and I hear a noise, I think it’s a drone or a rocket flying. You can imagine how I feel. Also, when I understand that my family is on the front line and that they are going through a very difficult time right now, I know that I also have to do my job so well that they know that everything is going well, even if we are at war with Russia .

HotNews.ro: Where are you from?

Igor Korkhovy: I am from Poltava region, a cultural region of Ukraine, where the literary Ukrainian language developed.

HotNews.ro: What news do you have from relatives, friends, colleagues in Ukraine? Are they being attacked, are they hiding?

Igor Korkhovy: Unfortunately, no 100% safe place can be found in Ukraine, because our cities are shelled with missiles, our peaceful cities are bombed, peaceful civilian objects are destroyed, which is a violation of the Geneva Convention, they behave like a state terrorist. Relatives are constantly under threat of bombardment, rockets fly over their heads. You can imagine what it’s like to focus your energy on solving a certain task, but at the same time think about the security situation in Poltava Oblast. Unfortunately, sometimes these things are difficult to deal with.

HotNews.ro: There are reports of drone attacks allegedly made in Iran. What is the current situation in Ukrainian cities, in your field, and especially in Ukraine – the civilian population, children and mothers?

Igor Korkhovy: Russia is a terrorist state, it is at war with the civilian population, it destroys all the provisions of the Geneva Convention, it strikes at power plants and thermal plants, it strikes at water treatment facilities that provide the peaceful Ukrainian population with the necessities of life. Yesterday, they hit a power plant in one of Kyiv’s districts and left hundreds of thousands of Kyivites without means of survival. Can you imagine that in the 21st century there is a major terrorist state that somehow decided to occupy its neighbor? They are unpredictable. We expect our partners to close the skies of our peaceful cities and participate in a broader strategy to protect the population from bombing.

HotNews.ro: There are also voices in Europe that call on President Zelenskyi and the Ukrainian authorities to try to negotiate with Putin and the Russian Federation. For example, recently in Romania, the Minister of Defense Mr. Vasile Dincu said (on Prima TV) that “the only chance for peace may be negotiations with Russia. Of course, these are difficult negotiations (…) The countries of the world, NATO, the United States must agree on security guarantees and peace with Russia for Ukraine. Alone, Ukraine will not be able to negotiate with Russia, because the political class in Ukraine cannot allow, assume (…) the loss of territories, the ultimately unjust loss of territories. It would be too great a defeat for politics.” Can you come to an agreement with Putin?

Igor Korkhovy: I personally do not. I can tell you this: our president, our political leaders have issued an official order that they will not negotiate with Putin’s terrorist regime. For now, this is the official position. Secondly, Ukrainian citizens, their unity and readiness to fight for the country support this message. More than 80% of Ukrainians want to fight and defend their country. Truth, of course, will win. We cannot afford to give Russia any chance to occupy and annex some gray areas, because they will become the basis for further invasions and a possible larger conflict that will affect not only Ukraine, but also Europe itself and NATO itself.

HotNews.ro: There are voices in Romania saying that Romania and the Romanian government have not helped Ukraine very much. What do you think, how do you rate Romania’s participation?

Ihor Korkhovy: I can say that Romania is our partner. In particular, our partnership was clearly manifested in the case of the export of Ukrainian grain, when Romania supported us with its ports. Therefore, we are very grateful to your government, at the same time we received humanitarian aid from your government, thousands of Ukrainians received asylum in Romania. There will always be room for expanding and deepening our cooperation. We must not waste this moment, the window of opportunity will not last forever. Therefore, I think that we need to work a lot with Romania to improve, develop, expand, deepen relations.

HotNews.ro: The Romanian government expressed its wish for the Ukrainian state to protect the Romanian language and Romanian education in Ukraine. What do you think are its prospects?

Igor Korkhovy: I don’t see a problem with this topic at this time. In addition, we have the opportunity to discuss within the European Union platform, in Brussels. Frankly speaking, there are no problems. Every government protects its people, so Ukraine protects its people, so people living in Ukraine, even if they belong to minorities, should know the national Ukrainian language, be able to receive basic state services, that’s the only idea. So in this case we don’t see any problem and now we need to focus more on our survival problem. The war must end first, and that’s all, and we’ll leave the political discussions for later.

HotNews.ro: In winter, the situation of the population of Ukraine will be even worse due to the lack of energy, food, and other resources. But these days, for example, there are protests in France against the situation in France, against the situation in other countries that have suffered from the situation caused by this war. For example, there are many voices who say that European countries should ease sanctions against Russia because of high energy prices in Europe and because the poorest people in European countries will pay higher prices. What is your message to the people of Europe who have been affected by these high energy prices?

Igor Korkhovy: My message is clear: you pay in euros, we pay in human lives. This is. You pay your price, please pay the checks because Ukrainians pay well. If you don’t want to, understand that, unfortunately, we are not to blame. We did not interfere in Russia, we did not invade this country. This is the price that, unfortunately, Europeans have to pay for their security. Ukrainians protect almost all of Europe from a possible Russian invasion.

HotNews.ro: What do you personally think when this war ends, what are your expectations and hopes?

Igor Korkhovy: I believe that when we restore the direct Kyiv-Bucharest airline, then the war will be over.

HotNews.ro: What can you say about the prospects of Ukraine’s membership in the EU? Did you apply when you consider Ukraine’s accession to the EU possible?

Igor Korkhovy: I can say that we are expecting an answer, after the questionnaire, from the European Commission, I guess it will be in 2023, maybe in the first or second half, and then the negotiations should start. We do not see any obstacles, because the government apparatus of Ukraine was able to fill out the necessary questionnaire in just a month. So come on, no problem! The ball is in the court of the European Commission, we expect the negotiations to start as soon as possible. We need a clear road map.

HotNews.ro: And what about joining NATO? How do you see relations with NATO and the future path?

Igor Korkhovy: As our defense minister said, we are already part of NATO. And our president said that we are already a de facto part of NATO. Therefore, we still have to take formal steps, and, of course, Ukraine will strengthen NATO, of course, with its military forces, and with the energy of the Ukrainian people, NATO will be stronger. In addition, there should not be a gray area between NATO and Russia, that would be a real problem.

HotNews.ro: But how do you see future relations with your larger neighbor, the Russian Federation, after the war?

Igor Korkhovy: It is still too early to say. First we have to win the war, get our people and our territories back, and then we can start talking to them.