MOSCOW, September 8 (RIA Novosti) – Independence supporters in the self-proclaimed Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk (LPR) People’s Republics are not pro-Russian separatists, but anti-coup protesters, Former CIA representative Raymond McGovern told RIA Novosti during the World Russia Forum.
“I don't think those folks that speak Russian, have Russian roots in east Ukraine want to separate themselves from Ukraine, I don't think Russia wants them. They are not pro-Russia separatists, they are anti-coup, and that's what we should call them,” Director at the US Global Engagement Program, Carnegie Council for Ethics, Raymond McGovern said.
“We warned Mrs. Merkel in our recent memorandum that she shouldn't take as gospel the intelligence that we used to show Russian invasion in eastern Ukraine. I have to tell you that those fuzzy images, they are embarrassment to a professional intelligence officer,” McGovern said.
The quote refers to the open letter by a group of former US Intelligence officials, who warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the risks of Ukrainian NATO membership and of the dangers of faulty intelligence resulting in an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. The most prominent member of the group, William Binney, is a former high ranking NSA official and the first whistleblower to come out and speak out against the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program.
“Do I think there are Russians in southeast Ukraine? Of course there are. Do I think there are soviet tank units and self-propelled artillery? Well, I could believe that if I saw a less fuzzy picture, but I don't see it. We should call them on that,” Raymond McGovern said.
Speaking about further success of the ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk on September 5, McGovern said it depends on whether Barack Obama can influence Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
“There is a lot of volatility here. But I think if adult people can take charge here, and I count Mr. Putin as one of those adults, let's see if we can make this work. If we spread out the word, if we give information to people, we can actually rally the people behind this,” McGovern concluded.
Kiev has been carrying out a military operation against the independence movement of the country’s South-East. According to the United Nations, the armed conflict has killed over 2,500 and injured around 6,000 people.
Representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE agreed to a ceasefire between Kiev and independence supporters during the September 5 meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk. The ceasefire started at 15:00 GMT the same day.
