In an exclusive interview from secret location in Ukraine for N1 television, former Ukrainian President, Viktor Yushchenko, talked about Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, Yuschenko's struggle to survive an assassination attempt, Ukraine's fight against the ongoing invasion and the suffering of its civilians and cities. He also commented on the West's response to Russian aggression, and the prospect of Russia's use of nuclear weapons.

Asked if he was safe and how far he was from the front lines, Yushchenko said he was glad to be able to communicate with Croatia.

“Today we are waging war again with our cruel occupier, with our cruel neighbor, with Russia. That Russia brought an army, and shoots without mercy. There are a lot of questions about how this war can end. I believe the war will end when we expel the last Russian soldier from the territory of Ukraine,” Yushchenko said.

“A mentally sane person at the end of February could hardly believe that Putin wold be so irresponsible to could attack the border line spanning 3,000 kilometers with Ukraine. I saw very few experts who believed this, and that is why it seemed obvious to us that Putin would start the war in the temporarily occupied territories. In the second phase, we thought he might wage war in the wider administrative areas of those provinces, but very few people using common sense would have thought that he would start a war coming from Belarus and blockade the Black Sea, so that the victims of aggression would become cities like Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv. It made absolutely no sense,” Yushchenko said.

When asked how long could Ukraine hold on in the face of Russian aggression, Yushchenko replied by asking rhetorically how long can Europe hold on?

“It is a test for any nation, but Ukraine is united today, and in that unity it is fighting the enemy, that is what stops Russia the most. Obviously, today we have such international solidarity, which did not exist 10 or 20 years ago. It would be correct to interpret that the whole world is working against Russia today, because that (Russia) is the ideal of fascism that emerged in the 21st century,” Yushchenko said.

“It is important that today we understand and support each other, and that we have solidarity in various areas. Almost four million refugees have left Ukraine, and all these people are openly welcomed by the whole of Europe and the whole world. That is a very good lesson for all of us,” Yushchenko said.

During his tenure, he met with Putin several times and commented on Putin’s claims of “demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.”

“Today we are waging our 25th war with Russia. In the last century alone, we have declared independence six times. We lost five times, and we had only one reason each time, the Russian occupation. It is as if we are supposed to surrender ourselves at the mercy of the mindless Vladimir Putin. Obviously, no one would accept that. When we talk about denazification, it is obvious that Putin is now a problem for the entire world. The Russian people are just as sick as Putin, because if a large number of Russians vote to wage war against Europe, that is a big problem. I understand that there is a handful of loyal, reasonable people, but we must say that living in the 21st century alongside such people is a test for all of us,” Yushchenko said.

“I have met with Putin many times during some not-so-easy times, when I had to fly with other presidents to Georgia, to defend Georgia. We experienced the cutting off of Russian gas supply to Georgia. We had different stages of our relationship with Putin, but I would honestly say that the person who today shows up at the Luzhniki Stadium, who appears on Russian television to explain again why he has attacked Ukraine – I don’t really know that man. That man is weak, devoid of any intelligence, reason, and also any responsibility. In other words, he brought all these problems to Russia, he put all those problems in one basket, and they prevent the existence of Russia in the form in which it exists now,” Yushchenko said.

He also spoke about the assassination attempt and the poisoning he experienced.

“That country is run by the KGB, it’s a country that spreads international terror, starting with violinists and dozens of other politicians who were poisoned and killed, these things are becoming commonplace. I know very well who did it, and I am sure that the time will come when the whole world will find out about it, through fair justice, and that crime will be added to the list of crimes committed by that Russian government and state. And today we are talking about the most valuable thing in the era of the 2000s, in Eastern Europe, when several nations rose from freedom. Putin realized that the scariest word in the military dictionary is the word Maidan, because that word by definition means death to Putin and his regime, and without a doubt, it will lead Russia to an era of great change,” Yushchenko said.

He was also asked if he was concerned about Putin’s nuclear threat.

“Of course, when we talk and deal with an irresponsible person, who has no limits, then of course, a lot of problems can be expected from him, which anyone using common sense can not even imagine. But I think the current policy, starting with the US, I honestly have to say that I like the leadership it shows – because it is important that there is some leadership in the world on how we assess the current security situation, so as not to allow the war to metastasize.

Today, military-technical cooperation is very important. Why is there so much help for Ukraine? Because it is a nation that is fighting against evil, it is an evil with many faces. I liked it when the world started saying that the Ukrainian struggle is their struggle. And when we talk about what to expect after these summits, I can generally say that my heart is peaceful, Ukraine will not be abandoned, we will succeed in defeating Russian fascism. We will win.

The idea that this unhealthy mind of Putin could give the order to use biological or nuclear weapons can only be discussed hypothetically. I am certain that it would be difficult for Putin to find three or four higher-ranking officers who would agree to give the key to launch a nuclear missile on Ukraine, because that would be completely insane. That is where my optimism comes from,” Yushchenko said.

Speaking about the unity of Ukraine, Yushchenko said that in just three decades the country has come a long and incredible way.

“Entire families are on the battlefield, all politicians are following one line, fighting on the same front, and I think that was also a surprise for Putin, because he did not think he would have to come up against 40 million Ukrainians in the country and another 27 million living abroad,” he said.

Asked about his views on Europe, Ukraine, and the world, Yushchenko said that Europe was experiencing lessons these days, and should think more about its security after this war.

“Today we are talking about possible nuclear, biological and chemical threats. Ten years ago we did not think about any of that, we thought we were all humanists and that in 10 years time there would not be any such people (willing to use these weapons) left. Obviously, the economy is now the main thing to work on, not just how to build economic relations with Ukraine but also how to form an economic zone that would be best for mobilizing European governments. I think global security policy will require a major overhaul. It is difficult for us to watch a member of the UN Security Council, Russia, conduct its policy and at the same time still has the right to veto every single peacemaking initiative. We all know that if such an important institution of global security does not get an overhaul, then it might earn itself the same reputation that the League of Nations once had. I am certain that Europe and the world would start working on that, after we win,” Yushchenko said.