After 20 years, he left Russian diplomacy. Now he reveals her secrets

• As the former diplomat admitted, he did not fully believe that the Kremlin would be able to attack Ukraine
• According to Bondarev, Russian diplomats are currently divided into two camps: “intelligent people” and those who “strongly identify with the interests of the state.”
• The Deutsche Welle interlocutor shared his experience of serving in a foreign mission, admitting that the analyzes prepared by missions abroad are written in such a way as not to “irritate the headquarters in Moscow”
• You can follow the information on the defense of Ukraine 24 hours a day on our website LIVE RELATIONS
• More important information can be found on the Onet homepage. If you do not want to miss any important news – subscribe to our newsletter

Boris Bondarev was a counselor at the Permanent Representation of Russia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, and on May 23 he resigned in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin’s foreign policy.

– February 24 turned out to be a turning point for me. I read then that Kyiv, Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities were bombed. It was incomprehensible to me. Kharkiv and Kyiv were bombed by the German Luftwaffe in 1941, and now our air force did the same. It was a nightmare, said Bondarev.

As the former diplomat admitted, he did not fully believe that the Kremlin would be able to attack Ukraine. “I thought all these maneuvers and ultimatum demands were a diplomatic game. It was obvious that when attacking a neighboring country, Russia was signing a sentence on itself because we had no resources, no allies. Nothing that could stand against the combined power of the West. On the other hand, the West, of course, would not stand aside, but would help Ukraine, he stressed.

In Bondariew’s opinion, Russian diplomats are currently divided into two camps – “intelligent people”aware of the seriousness of the situation and opportunists who “strongly identify with the interests of the state.”

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– Our foreign policy and diplomacy are morally bankrupt, because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is associated with Sergey Lavrov, who talks some nonsense, and Maria Zakharova. Even Russian diplomats do not understand what she is doing in the ministry. There are other people who tell completely irresponsible stories and call black white and blue red. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is no longer diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is part of the propaganda apparatus, assessed Bondarev.

Deutsche Welle’s interlocutor shared his experience of serving in a foreign mission, admitting that the analyzes prepared by missions abroad are written in such a way as not to “irritate the headquarters in Moscow”.

– When you write to Moscow, your main motivation should be to make it pleasant to read in Moscow. The attitude of the headquarters towards you and your future career depends on it. Nobody wants to upset the management. Therefore, if we write about some unfavorable events, we have to put it in such a way that (the message) looks pleasant – said Bondarev.

In his opinion, Western states and institutions should provide Kiev with all possible support in the war with the Kremlin. – Ukraine is to defeat the Russian army. It must be a victory that will shake the Russian society and elite – so that they understand that something has gone wrong, because so far we do not see anything like that. Everyone thinks everything is going according to plan. A powerful impulse is needed, as was the case during the lost war between Russia and Japan in 1905 – emphasized the former employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– In 20 years of my career, I have seen various twists and turns of our diplomacy, but I have never been so ashamed of my country as on February 24. The aggressive conflict unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire Western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also, perhaps, the most serious crime against the Russian people, destroying all hopes and prospects for a prospering free society in our country – he wrote then in a statement addressed to the diplomatic corps in Geneva.

Bondarev worked in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2002.

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