I was surprised to read the article “Opgøret i Ukraine er en stedfortræderkrig. Landet bør deles” of the columnist Flemming Ytzen published in the “Politiken”, who mixes unitary and federal states and admits the idea of a redivision of Ukraine.

Ukraine cannot be compared either with Czecho-Slovakia which consisted of the Czech and Slovak republics, or with Yugoslavia which united six republics that became independent states.

Ukraine is a unitary state. The division into Eastern and Western Ukraine is artificial and is externally imposed. There are no such entities in Ukraine. There are no separate peoples that would inhabit these entities, differ by nationality or religion, and strive for independence from each other. Ukrainians are the same: in Lviv, in Donetsk, in Kyiv, in Odessa or Simferopol. Indeed, they may have different political views and preferences. To support Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO or to remain a supporter of neutrality. They can communicate in Ukrainian, Russian or any other language of national minorities, be a Jew, an Armenian, a Pole, a Hungarian, a Ukrainian, a Belarusian or Russian by nationality, but at the same time love their state equally strongly and worry about its future.

Ukrainians have stood in the centuries-old battle for their Independence and will fight for every piece of their land. When the open aggression by Russia against Ukraine began in 2014-2015, along with the Armed Forces, thousands of army volunteers from all regions of our state – from the East, West, North and South – went to the front lines to defend their land. And none of the 14,000 who died during the hostilities did not even thought about giving even one square meter of their land to the enemy.

Any idea or even a hint of a redivision of Ukraine, where the geographical centre of Europe is located, is nothing more than the use of the Russian narrative about “Russian World” or Russia’s sphere of influence. Such an idea may indicate a very superficial analysis and lack of information on the true situation in Ukraine, or it could be deliberate dancing to the tune of the Russian bear.

It is short-sighted, even naive to hope for some kind of compromise with the Russian authorities. Ukraine which signed Budapest Memorandum and Friendship Agreement with Russia, and later became a victim of Russian aggression, knows very well what treaties with Russia are worth.

To appeal for calming the barbarian by sacrificing a part of Ukraine to him – that is to argue from a position of weakness. Everybody in the Democratic world should understand one simple fact that Ukraine is fighting against the aggressor and it is the last outpost on its way to Europe. In this situation, only the unity of Western democracies can become an adequate response to Russian attacks. It is necessary to further tighten anti-Russian sanctions and minimize any relations with Russia until it returns to a civilized format.

It is always easier to blame the victim. But by proposing to divide Ukraine one may eventually come to the redivision of Europe.

This comment published in the “Politiken” newspaper