In an interview with The Guardian, former President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma expressed the opinion 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 operative of the KGB and indicated 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 not only aims 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 the victory of Ukraine, even in the event of a reduction in Western aid. He also expressed hope that the United States will be able to pass a law on providing aid to Ukraine. According to him, the defeat of Ukraine will mean the loss of the face of the United States in front of the world.
Kuchma also said that the prospect of reconciliation between Russia and Ukraine is difficult to imagine, since the full-scale war united Ukraine and erased the contradictions that existed between the regions. According to him, people "hate Russia because of suffering and losses."
