Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister: "Democracy Runs in Our Blood"

February 20th of this year will mark the second anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine. The military situation currently seems deadlocked - little progress is being made and peace is currently not in sight. Last but not least, there is also the question of what the situation will be after peace finally comes to Ukraine and in what timeframe the country will be able to carry out the reforms required for its planned EU and NATO membership. Sven Lilienström, founder of the Faces of Democracy initiative, spoke to Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna about these and other questions in a Zoom call.

Prime Minister, for seven years now, our opening question has always been: How important are democracy and democratic values to you personally?

The importance of these things for me personally is probably no different from their importance for all Ukrainians at the moment. The general perception here is that democracy and the values we adhere to are elements that are vital for our survival. Sticking to our European principles and respecting the dignity and the right to choose for all Ukrainians have in fact been the pivotal elements in every transformation our country has experienced. The fact is that two massive demonstrations, which are now known as the Revolution of Dignity and the Orange Revolution, were the prime drivers of our development as a free nation. Therefore, a strong sense of the importance of democracy runs in our blood. In fact, I think this is felt more strongly in Ukraine than anywhere else in Europe, and fundamentally this situation means that Ukraine has essentially become the voice of these values at this particular point in time. That is the perception in my country, and it is a perception that I myself...