Leader of the Strength and Honor Party and ex-chief of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine (2003-2005) Ihor Smeshko has said “the criminal inaction” of the Ukrainian authorities and the lack of an information strategy have allowed politicians, such as Viktor Medvedchuk, to run for parliament and also lead their own pro-Russia political force from there.
Speaking on the Right to Power program aired on 1+1 TV, Smeshko said Ukraine did not create an effective information strategy that, like in developed countries of the world, could have protected society from the propaganda of the aggressor country. There was no political will, he said.
“Unpunished crimes, including the criminal inaction of the authorities, starting from the first days of the war, when war was not called war and martial law was not introduced, led to the circumstance under which Medvedchuk, without concealing his pro-Russia views, became a figure who could enter parliament and even bring back the [political] force, which is, in fact, a pro-Russia mouthpiece,” he said.
Smeshko said calls for peace on any conditions would lead to Ukraine’s capitulation and the loss of its statehood.
“From the first day, when they began to use Medvedchuk for talks with the Russian president on the exchange of prisoners, it was clear that this was the reincarnation of the pro-Russian policy in Ukraine’s political life,” he said.
Smeshko said responsible state agencies should have been analyzing the content of TV channels owned by Medvedchuk long ago and appealing to the courts to protect Ukraine’s national interests.
“Since 2016, the National Security Doctrine has been in effect. It has been determined that the Security Service and the Ministry of Information Policy should have been analyzing the content of 112.Ukraine and NewsOne TV channels. This is where the information policy of the aggressor country can be found. On the basis of this they could have applied to the courts, but for this it is necessary that the president and top officials defend the national policy,” he said.
Smeshko said Ukraine’s previous government did not develop an effective information strategy, which, like those in developed countries of the world, could protect society from the propaganda of the aggressor country.
“The impunity of the authorities’ criminal inaction, the lack of political will have led to the fact that we are now talking only about the consequences,” he said.
