Portnikov: Russia’s breakup would not ensure Ukraine’s safety

A possible breakup of Russia would not guarantee Ukraine’s security, journalist and commentator Vitaliy Portnikov said in an interview with LIGA.net. He warned that a state emerging in Russia’s European territory could pursue territorial expansion even more aggressively.

Portnikov said he currently saw no real preconditions for Russia’s breakup. In his assessment, even losing control of the North Caucasus, or part of it, would not substantially weaken Russia.

He also expressed scepticism about Ukraine’s prospects of obtaining reliable security guarantees from other countries. He argued that Ukraine’s main task was to strengthen its own ability to resist Russia, making an attempt to destroy Ukrainian statehood prohibitively costly for Russians.