Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has suggested in an interview with The Guardian that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be obsessed with Ukraine due to a mental disorder. Kuchma noted that many people claim that Putin's obsession with Ukraine is a kind of mania or mental disorder, and acknowledged the possibility of this interpretation.
The second president of Ukraine also described Putin as a career KGB operative and pointed out the possible consequences of this profession. Kuchma shared his impressions of the moment of the Russian attack, when he was in Kyiv, and recognized the events of that day as “terrible and shocking,” noting the Russian bombers over Kyiv.
According to Kuchma, Putin’s goal is not only to seize land, but also to destroy the very “concept” of Ukraine as a “competitive alternative to Russia.” He believes that Putin is willing to make sacrifices, including human and reputational losses, to achieve this goal.
Kuchma expressed confidence in Ukraine's victory, even if Western aid were to be reduced. He also expressed hope that the United States would be able to pass a law on providing aid to Ukraine. According to him, Ukraine's defeat would mean the loss of face for the United States in the world.
Kuchma also said that the prospects for reconciliation between Russia and Ukraine were hard to imagine, as the full-scale war had united Ukraine and erased the contradictions that existed between the regions. People, he said, “hate Russia because of the suffering and losses.”.
