Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States warned Sunday that “nobody’s safe” if Russia invades Ukraine.
In an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Oksana Markarova asserted the start of the nation’s war with Russia began in 2014.
“In 2014, when Crimea has been attacked and when Crimea has been illegally occupied or annexed, as Russia says, that has been the start of the war,” she said.
But the reason he attacked Ukraine has much wider implications, she asserted.
“The reason why Putin attacked us is not because he wants Ukraine, or only Ukraine,” she said. “The reason he attacked us is because we have chosen to be a democracy and we have the Euro-Atlantic and European aspirations.”
“So it's an attack on democracy, and I believe nobody is safe if Ukraine will be attacked,” she continued. “We do not want to be part of the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire or the Russian Federation. We want to be sovereign, we are sovereign and we are fighting for our independence. And if Ukraine will be further attacked by Russia, of course they will not stop after Ukraine.”
The diplomat also argued her nation can’t afford to “panic,” however.
“So we're preparing for any options,” she said. “And again, as I said, we know what Russians are capable of. But let's be very clear here, we know who [the] aggressor is and everyone knows who [the] aggressor is. It's Russia.”
“With the United States, especially and with other partners and allies, we may have difference of opinions on when to introduce sanctions, we may have difference of opinions on some issues, but those are friendly, open and candid discussions and we really value this,” she added.
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