It will be a long war. I have seen horrific crimes, those responsible for them will pay »- Corriere.it

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How – Bridget Brink was appointed US ambassador to Ukraine last April, began his diplomatic career in Belgrade during the war in Kosovo. “I closed that embassy… and reopened this embassy.” American personnel were evacuated from Kyiv a few days before the Russian invasion in February, but the flag returned to fly over the headquarters in May.. “I have personally seen so many mass graves, crimes, and atrocities of war in just four months,” says Brink Al. courier While In Iseum, in the northeast, a new mass grave has been discovered. “It’s not something I would have imagined seeing again on European soil in my life or should ever see. I worry about what we will find out when the Ukrainians continue to push Russia to retreat from the occupied territories. Some estimates put 100,000 people dead in Mariupol. It is enormous and on a scale that is perhaps even greater than people can imagine. The horror of Ezeum – wrote on Twitter Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who has accompanied the ambassador in recent days to visit six-year-olds maimed by Russian missiles – should “reinforce our support for the brave Ukrainians trying to liberate them. homeland “.

Zelensky repeated yesterday: “Russia is a terrorist state. I don’t know why the world is so slow to recognize it.” Will Izyum change anything?

Designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism is currently under active discussion, both internally in our government and with Congress. There is a real interest in avoiding unintended consequences. I can say that people and entities who helped Russia fight this war in general are already subject to sanctions, with the same consequences that any classification would have. But we are studying this designation and evaluating everything we can do to make Russia responsible and to prevent and deter future aggressions.”

Will Putin be responsible for war crimes? Can he be tried in the Hague Tribunal?

“I don’t know what the specific process or mechanism is, and our position is that those responsible for war crimes and atrocities must be held accountable: it is an ethical question. It is impossible not to see the evidence and photos of mass graves and the dead and not feel – as a human being and as a diplomat – that whoever is responsible should be held accountable.” .

What should we expect from Putin? Can he use a nuclear weapon?

I certainly don’t want to guess what Putin might decide to do. But I can focus on what we’re trying to do: help Ukraine defend itself and discourage future aggression. It takes place at the gates of Europe and NATO. It is a very dangerous act to launch a large-scale invasion of another country. And there is a cost to everyone, especially the Ukrainians who are fighting and dying, for us and for Europe. It is a war of choice, unjustified and unjustified, it is destabilizing in itself and has wider consequences than Ukraine alone.”

The US State Department has revealed that Russia has paid $300 million since 2014 to influence political parties in Europe, news that emerged on the eve of the vote in Italy. Why are you posting this information now?

I cannot talk about the specific intelligence aspects of the case. But Russia’s attempts to influence democratic processes in Europe and in my country are very dangerous and we think that when we see them we have to say so. It is part of the Russian strategy to undermine democracies around the world and perhaps some of our most powerful partners, but also NATO and the European Union. My opinion is that we should expose what is happening publicly.”

Negotiations are on hold. And Zelensky talks about the restoration of Crimea, which is unacceptable to Putin. How is it reactivated?

In Washington, we believe that the definition of victory rests with Ukraine’s democratically elected leader, President Zelensky. When and if you decide to go and negotiate is up to him. Our role is to provide security and other assistance to him and the Ukrainian government to achieve this goal. We want and hope that Ukraine will be strong, independent and prosperous, integrated into the Euro-Atlantic institutions. We think it is useful for Ukraine and Ukrainians, but also for Europe and the United States. It will make Ukraine safe and stable in Eastern Europe.”

Blinken says progress could give Zelensky more leverage at the negotiating table. Does the goal remain?

“It’s encouraging what we saw on the battlefield, but I don’t think this would be a quick war. It’s true that successes on the ground help end wars quickly, I hope, but I’ve spent a lot of time in this region, where there are protracted conflicts fueled by Russia and causing in destabilization. And Italy is closer to them than America. I have seen the negative consequences of these conflicts here and in other regions of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. The president said we will stand by Ukraine as long as necessary and I want to stress that in politics it is important to avoid the “law of the strongest” but As we see, there is a heavy cost to the Ukrainian people and to all of us: thousands of people have been killed because of Russia’s decision to invade another country.”