Filenews 13 June 2022
He was the first prime minister of Vladimir Putin's government. But even in his worst nightmares, Mikhail Kasyanov says he could not have imagined his former political boss ordering a military invasion of Ukraine.
"The Putin that I knew was different," Mr. Kasyanov assured during a – rare – interview he gave via video link to the French Agency.
Prime Minister from 2000 to 2004, before joining the opposition, Mr. Kasyanov estimated that the war in Ukraine could last up to two years. Nevertheless, he said that he always firmly believes that, one day, Russia will take the "democratic path" again.
Mr Putin's 64-year-old former prime minister, who had made efforts to reach out between Moscow and Western states, stressed that he did not believe, like many other Russians, that war would break out.
He added that he finally understood what was coming three days before the invasion, when Mr Putin convened and chaired a diligently choreographed meeting of Russia's national security council, which was televised.
"When I attended this meeting (...) I understood that yes, we will have war," he said.
"I know all these people and seeing them, I saw that Putin was not the same. Not on a medical level. To a politician," he added.
Mr Kasyanov, who was relieved of his duties in 2004, joined the opposition and became one of the Kremlin's fiercest critics. Today he is the head of the People's Freedom Party, a small liberal faction.
"Cynical and inhumane" system
According to his former prime minister, Mr Putin, a former KGB agent, 69, created a system based on impunity and fear since he came to power in 2000.
"These are the achievements of a system which, with Putin's encouragement as head of state, began to operate in an even more cynical and inhumane manner than in the later stages of the Soviet Union," he said.
"Deep down, this is a system reminiscent of the KGB, based on complete impunity": it is clear that the people of the system "do not expect to be punished" for anything at all, he insisted.
Mr Kasyanov said he left Russia because of his opposition to the Russian army's attack on Ukraine. He refrained from specifying which country he is in, citing security reasons.
Boris Nemtsov, a critic of Mr. Putin with whom Mr. Kasyanov had relations, was murdered near the Kremlin in 2015. Alexei Navalny, the Russian president's black sheep, is in prison after surviving his poisoning in 2020.
"If Ukraine falls, the Baltic countries will be next on the list'', the opposition warned.
He added that he is "categorically" opposed to the idea that Vladimir Putin should not be humiliated and opposes calls for Ukraine to agree to cede part of its territory in exchange for peace.
"What has Putin done to deserve that?" he asked. "This is a position that is too pragmatic. I think it's wrong and I hope the West won't go down that road."
"Huge challenges"
Referring to the post-Vladimir Putin era, Mikhail Kasyanov predicted that his successor would be under the command of the secret services, but he will not be able to control the system for long and it will not be possible to organise democratic elections.
Nevertheless, "I am sure that Russia will return to the path of building a democratic state" one day, he said, estimating that it will take a decade to "de-juncture" and "de-de-icing" the country.
"It will be very difficult after this criminal war" in Ukraine, he warned.
For Mr. Kasyanov, among the top priorities will be the restoration of trust with European countries, which he describes as Moscow's "natural partners".
Although the Russian opposition is often described as too divided to defeat Mr Putin, the former prime minister said he believes the war in Ukraine has changed the facts.
"After the tragedy that we are witnessing, the opposition will unite. I have no doubt about that," he said, while underlining the magnitude of the task ahead, in his view.
"Everything will have to be rebuilt from scratch. A cycle of economic and social reforms should be restarted," he said. These are challenges both huge and difficult, but they need to be addressed", he said.
Source: ANA - MPA
