This is how the former Ukrainian president wants Norway to strike Russia – VG

BEIRUT (VG), Ukraine’s former president, Petro Poroshenko, wants Norway to increase oil production so that Russia struggles economically. He said this in an exclusive interview with VG.

On the screen appears a man in black clothes. It is the former president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko.

Behind him is an exploding apartment building, soot spreads on the walls. Crushed concrete and twisted rebar were found on the ground in the Opolonsky district of Kyiv. It has now been five weeks since the start of the Russian invasion.

“I hope you can hear the sound behind me of Russian artillery and missile launchers constantly pounding our Ukrainian capital,” he told VG.

– This is Putin’s style when he fights. catastrophic war.

He ruled the country for five years, in the key years from 2014, after Ukraine ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, and until 2019 when Zelensky won the election.

He negotiated several times with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in eastern Ukraine, which broke out in 2014. The war was almost forgotten when Putin sent about 150,000 Russian soldiers across Ukraine’s borders on February 24 this year. Suddenly the whole country is at war.

Now Putin calls one A war criminal and a madman.

– We were able to destroy Putin’s plans to divide Ukraine in two.

Since Poroshenko lost the 2019 elections, he has been plagued by political problems.

he is Under investigation for treason After allegations that one of his companies was involved in buying and selling coal from areas in the east that were controlled by Russian-backed rebels. Poroshenko is one of the richest men in Ukraine, he got rich by producing chocolate.

Poroshenko himself denied these allegations, saying that Zelensky was trying to discredit him.

But now that war has broken out, the two politicians have agreed on their message of getting weapons to Ukraine, and ending the war as soon as possible.

As Zelensky spoke in Germany’s parliament on Wednesday and asked for more weapons, Poroshenko for his part has given video interviews in recent weeks with CNN and the BBC, among others, often surrounded by soldiers in the background. In the eight minutes allotted to VG for the interview, we were asked two questions.

He has been on the front lines of diplomacy trying to persuade Western leaders to enforce a no-fly zone, send more weapons to Ukraine and offer security guarantees. But ex-President Poroshenko has himself Carrying a weapon.

– I would like to thank Norway for this solidarity, because it has never provided weapons to a non-NATO country, and we appreciate that very much, especially anti-tank weapons that help our armed forces stop Russian tanks.

He continues to thank Norway for accepting refugees and for its donation 200 million NOK for Ukrainian teachers and health professionals.

– But what do you need from the international community and from Norway?

The short answer: weapons.

oil and gas

Poroshenko also has a clear message for Norway, which is to increase oil and gas production to harm the Russian economy.

– Russia receives 1 million euros every day, and this million euros every day will be enough to build 300 tanks or 200 cruise missiles that will kill people in Ukraine.

He wants Norway to increase oil and gas production “to replace Russia’s energy resources and stop funding Russia.”

I also want Norway to impose sanctions preventing Russian ships from visiting Norwegian ports.

And please keep the door to EU membership open for Ukraine. We are paying a heavy price for this future perspective. And this price is judged by Ukrainian blood.

Four million Ukrainians fled their homeland, and more than six million people were internally displaced.