Interviews

Veridica Interviews outline the points of view of reputed experts about the main topics on the international political agenda. Find out what various historians, diplomats and other personalities have to say about what is happening in the current geopolitical context and discover a new outlook on events around the world.

VERIDICA SPECIAL: From Mykolaiv to Izium. The war, seen by a Romanian enrolled in the Ukrainian military

Octavian Magas luptă chiar din primele zile ale războiului în cadrul armatei regulate ucrainene. Este etnic român, originar din regiunea Cernăuți. Magas a supraviețuit bombardamentelor intense ale rușilor, în vară, a văzut bucuria oamenilor din Harkov, eliberați de forțele ucrainene, dar și ostilitatea celor din zone rusificate. A trebuit și să treacă, la fel ca nenumărați alți militari ucraineni, peste pierderea unor camarazi și prieteni. Într-un interviu acordat în exclusivitate, Octavian Magas a povestit, pentru Veridica, cum a văzut și a trăit primele opt luni de război.

The war in Nagorno-Karabakh, prelude to Russia’s exit from the Southern Caucasus?

The war in Nagorno-Karabakh, prelude to Russia’s exit from the Southern Caucasus?

The dismantling of the Nagorno Karabakh republic was the most important change in the South Caucus since Turkey (re)emerged as a powerhouse there. More changes might follow.

Diana Shanava
Diana Shanava
19 Oct 2023
INTERVIEW: Russia’s disinformation in its Baltic “sphere of interest”

INTERVIEW: Russia’s disinformation in its Baltic “sphere of interest”

The Baltic States are being targeted by Russian disinformation which is using both narratives launched before the war in Ukraine and newer ones.

Kaspars Germanis
Kaspars Germanis
28 Sep 2023
Valeriu Matei: In 1991, Romania would have said ‘yes’ to the unification with the Republic of Moldova

Valeriu Matei: In 1991, Romania would have said ‘yes’ to the unification with the Republic of Moldova

Many Moldovan deputies voted in favor of the independence of the Republic of Moldova out of fear, but they opposed the unification with Romania, although Bucharest would have agreed to this move, says Bessarabian academician Valeriu Matei.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
27 Aug 2023
Moldova’s Defense Minister: NATO is not the boogeyman Russian propaganda would like us to think

Moldova’s Defense Minister: NATO is not the boogeyman Russian propaganda would like us to think

Chișinău is strengthening its army in the context of Russia’s hybrid war against the Republic of Moldova, the Moldovan Defense Minister said. In an interview to Veridica, Anatolie Nosatîi also referred to military cooperation with the EU, NATO and Romania.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
16 Jun 2023
Moldova’s Interior Minister: “In the Republic of Moldova, Russia’s primary goal was to spread propaganda, disinformation and to use blackmail”

Moldova’s Interior Minister: “In the Republic of Moldova, Russia’s primary goal was to spread propaganda, disinformation and to use blackmail”

Russia is involved in a hybrid war against the Republic of Moldova, says the Moldovan Interior Minister, Ana Revenco. In an interview to Veridica, Minister Revenco also said that, in spite of facing the greatest security challenges since the war in Transnistria, the Republic of Moldova also benefits from the West’s endorsement, which has conveyed a clear message to Russia regarding the “red lines” it shouldn’t cross with respect to Chișinău.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
17 May 2023
General Cătălin Tomescu, former NATO MNC-SE commander: Ukraine needs 500 tanks to win

General Cătălin Tomescu, former NATO MNC-SE commander: Ukraine needs 500 tanks to win

Ukraine would need two fully equipped mechanized divisions to push the Russian forces out of the four regions annexed in the fall, according to the reserve lieutenant general Cătălin Tomiță Tomescu, tank officer and former commander of the Multinational Corps South East (MNC-SE ), NATO’s regional command. General Tomescu warns, however, that its human and material resources are an advantage to Russia, as well as the fact that its leaders are indifferent to the huge losses they are experiencing on the front.

Cătălin Gomboș
Cătălin Gomboș
21 Feb 2023
Emine Dzhaparova: “The genocidal mission of Putin in Ukraine has been clear from his own statements”

Emine Dzhaparova: “The genocidal mission of Putin in Ukraine has been clear from his own statements”

Crimean Tatars were the first victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine and continue to be persecuted by Moscow, according to Kiev's Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Japarova. In an interview with Veridica, Japarova, who coordinates the strategy of the Crimea Platform and is responsible, among other things, for public diplomacy and the relationship with international organizations, explained how Russia violates the Geneva Conventions and why its crimes in Ukraine can be considered a genocide.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
13 Dec 2022
Andrei Soldatov: Putin was always very ruthless and is getting more and more paranoid

Andrei Soldatov: Putin was always very ruthless and is getting more and more paranoid

Putin's Russia is becoming more and more like Stalin's Russia, according to journalist Andrei Soldatov, one of the most respected experts on the Russian secret services. In an interview with Veridica and TVR, Soldatov explained how Putin corrupted Russian society, why the FSB is the successor to the Soviet KGB, what the methods and mentality of intelligence officers are, and how they came to believe and trust him also convince Putin that a war in Ukraine was necessary.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
20 Nov 2022
Olevs Nikers: The best scenario is the complete defeat of Russia, the realistic one – a peace agreement

Olevs Nikers: The best scenario is the complete defeat of Russia, the realistic one – a peace agreement

For the Baltic States and NATO, the best outcome of the war in Ukraine would be a complete defeat of Russia, according to the president of the Baltic Security Foundation, Olevs Nikers. However, Nikers feels that the most likely scenario for the end of the war would be a peace agreement, which means that the Baltic states and the Western world will be forced to deal with Russia on the long run.

Kaspars Germanis
Kaspars Germanis
17 Nov 2022
Dan Stoenescu, Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union to Syria: “The situation in Ukraine is also affecting Syria”

Dan Stoenescu, Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union to Syria: “The situation in Ukraine is also affecting Syria”

Syria remains a country ravaged by conflict and a deep humanitarian crisis, a place of conflicting interests of multiple state and non-state actors, says the Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union to Syria, Dan Stoenescu*. In an interview for TVR and Veridica, Dan Stoenescu explained that, although it doesn’t recognize the Assad regime, the EU keeps communication channels open in order to provide assistance to the Syrian people. The EU official also spoke about the link between the war in Syria and the one in Ukraine.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
04 Nov 2022
Yuri Felshtinsky: Putin wanted a Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian army that he could use to conquer Baltic States and the Republic of Moldova

Yuri Felshtinsky: Putin wanted a Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian army that he could use to conquer Baltic States and the Republic of Moldova

Vladimir Putin’s original plan was to subdue Ukraine without bloodshed and create a joint Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian army that he could use to conquer Baltic States and the Republic of Moldova, the Russian-American expert Yuri Felshtinsky argues, adding that Moscow’s recent actions suggest, despite all the threats, that no nuclear weapons will be used against Ukraine.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
06 Oct 2022
Vladimir Soloviov: The annexation of new territories by Russia is inevitable

Vladimir Soloviov: The annexation of new territories by Russia is inevitable

Vladimir Soloviov is a Russian journalist based in the Republic of Moldova. He writes for Kommersant. Veridica spoke with Mr. Soloviov in Chisinau about the political developments in the Republic of Moldova, Russia’s imperial claims and the war in Ukraine, but also about the almost non-existent relationship between Russia and Romania.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
02 Jul 2022
Vladimir Socor: Russia planned its expansion as early as the 90s

Vladimir Socor: Russia planned its expansion as early as the 90s

For Europe to evade the Russian threat, Russia needs to slip into a period of instability once Putin is gone, says Vladimir Socor. In an interview to Veridica, Vladimir Socor says the early signs of post-Soviet expansionism became transparent in the 1990s, also referring to Ukraine’s chances in the current war.

Ioana Dumitrescu
Ioana Dumitrescu
13 Jun 2022
The Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Romania, Victor Chirilă: If there’s anyone who doesn’t observe the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova, then it is Moscow, not Chișinău

The Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Romania, Victor Chirilă: If there’s anyone who doesn’t observe the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova, then it is Moscow, not Chișinău

The Transnistrian is not an obstacle to the EU integration of Chișinău, says the ambassador the Republic of Moldova in Romania, Victor Chirilă. In an interview to Veridica, the Moldovan diplomat said that, should Ukraine win the war against Russia, Tiraspol leaders will become “more flexible”. Victor Chirilă analyzed the security risks for Chișinău, as well as the main projects carried out by the Republic of Moldova jointly with Romania.

Marin Gherman
Marin Gherman
10 Jun 2022
Mark Galeotti: History will remember Putin as a war criminal

Mark Galeotti: History will remember Putin as a war criminal

Historian Mark Galeotti, who specializes in Russian history and politics and one of the Western experts who followed Vladimir Putin before he became president, believes that the Kremlin leader is primarily responsible for the strategic mistakes made by the Russian army in Ukraine. Professor Galeotti also spoke about the nature of power in Russia and the links between the state, oligarchs, secret services and organized crime.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
04 Jun 2022
Andrey Kurkov: Practically, Putin was working hard to consolidate Ukrainian nation and he achieved what he didn't want, because Ukrainian nation is ready to defend itself

Andrey Kurkov: Practically, Putin was working hard to consolidate Ukrainian nation and he achieved what he didn't want, because Ukrainian nation is ready to defend itself

Andrey Kurkov is one of the most important contemporary Ukrainian writers. He writes in Russian, but has been described as an "enemy of Russian culture." In an interview with Veridica, Andrey Kurkov spoke about Russia's return to the monarchy under "Tsar" Vladimir Putin, the decoupling - at least temporarily - from Russian culture, but also about Moscow's war against his country.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
28 Apr 2022
Kyiv expert: “The Russian forces couldn’t deal with the Ukrainian army, so they started taking revenge on civilians”

Kyiv expert: “The Russian forces couldn’t deal with the Ukrainian army, so they started taking revenge on civilians”

There is now a great deal of coagulation in Ukraine over the national idea, and Ukrainians quickly understood, from the earliest days of the Russian invasion, that they have to either fight or be killed, says Nadija Afanasieva, director of the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics in Kyiv. In an interview with Veridica, the international relations expert explained what Vladimir Putin actually meant when he said that Russia had “noble intentions”, but also what the role of the Transnistrian region in the economy of this war is.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
20 Apr 2022
Historian: I see lots of resemblances between the Soviet-Afghan war and the one waged by Russia in Ukraine

Historian: I see lots of resemblances between the Soviet-Afghan war and the one waged by Russia in Ukraine

Through its tactics in Ukraine, the Russian military is reminiscent of the Soviet army in Afghanistan rather than a modernized force. Veridica spoke with Chisinau military historian and researcher Ion Xenofontov to see the similarities and differences between the two wars fought by the former USSR and its legal successor, Russia.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
22 Mar 2022
30 years since the war in Transnistria. A precedent for Russia’s wars in the ex-Soviet space

30 years since the war in Transnistria. A precedent for Russia’s wars in the ex-Soviet space

The former Minister of Defense, Viorel Cibotaru, currently a political and military analyst in Chisinau fought in the 1992 war on the Dniester between the Moldovan army and the Transnistrian paramilitary forces, helped by the Russian 14th Guards Army. Viorel Cibotaru explained for Veridica the starting point of the conflict, the role of the special services and of the Russian veterans, and the plan for the conservation of the defunct USSR in the former union republics.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
09 Mar 2022
Ukrainian diplomat: invading Ukraine "would lead to a disaster for Russia's statehood and economy”

Ukrainian diplomat: invading Ukraine "would lead to a disaster for Russia's statehood and economy”

Ukrainians expect anything from Russia and know that if it attacks them again, they will have to defend themselves, not wait for help from elsewhere, according to the a.i. charge d’affaires of Ukraine in Bucharest, Păun Rohovei. In an interview granted to Veridica and Breaking Fake News, the diplomat warned that a new invasion would be extremely costly for Moscow.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
12 Feb 2022
Will Romania go to war for Ukraine? What does a Romanian general say about the disinformation targeting the army

Will Romania go to war for Ukraine? What does a Romanian general say about the disinformation targeting the army

The crisis in Ukraine is also marked by an increased output of false narratives meant to discredit NATO and undermine confidence in it. Romania has also been the target of such narratives – claiming that it’s preparing for war, mobilizing its reservists, has a weak army, equipped with outdated equipment, etc. Veridica talked to the head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of National Defense, Brigadier General Constantin Spînu, about the efforts made by the army to fight back the disinformation that targets it.

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
04 Feb 2022
John Lloyd: „Russia had never quite given up the ambition to command again”

John Lloyd: „Russia had never quite given up the ambition to command again”

Russia is trying to regain influence in its former Eastern European empire through fake news and influence peddling, according to Financial Times journalist, John Lloyd. The former Moscow correspondent talked to Veridica about the way Moscow is using propaganda in pursuit of its foreign policy objectives.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
20 Sep 2021
Dumitru Alaiba: “Transnistria is not an "issue", it’s a corruption scheme in place for more than 30 years now.”

Dumitru Alaiba: “Transnistria is not an "issue", it’s a corruption scheme in place for more than 30 years now.”

Dumitru Alaiba is one of the most vocal and visible deputies of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), which became the ruling party in Chisinau. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the proclamation of Moldova's independence, Veridica spoke with Dumitru Alaiba about Russia's declining influence in Chisinau, the interests that link some Moldovan politicians to Transnistria, but also about corruption and the politics of the past 30 years.

Mădălin Necșuțu
Mădălin Necșuțu
25 Aug 2021
Garry Kasparov: I am fighting a Russian dictator

Garry Kasparov: I am fighting a Russian dictator

The chess great spoke with Veridica about his fight for democracy and human rights, the new type of totalitarianism in Russia and what the West should do to stop Putin. Garry Kasparov told us that he is not worried that the regime is trying to eliminate him from textbooks because, in the long run, it is not the dictators who write history. He also said that there is no point in fearing that he will be assassinated because “If someone like Putin decides that you are next on the list, it doesn’t matter if you have protection or not. You go.”

Marian Voicu
Marian Voicu
13 Jun 2021
Chris Farrands: Brexit simply is not ‘done’ at all (Part Two)

Chris Farrands: Brexit simply is not ‘done’ at all (Part Two)

Chris Farrands was my director of studies in the PhD programme at Nottingham Trent University, between 2006 and 2011. Our relationship meant many meetings in Nottingham, Izmir, Edinburgh or Bucharest. Chris is not only ”a great teacher”, but also a great friend. That is, until our conversations go into international politics, especially British and European Union politics. He knows so many details, deriving from such a vast personal experience (see the short bio at the end) that he overwhelms the audience. The interview with Chris, published by Veridica in two episodes, demonstrates all these aspects and it is, in my opinion, the richest and densest media text on Brexit published în Romania and, perhaps, beyond. The first part dealt with the economic consequences of Brexit for Britain and the second part explores the more delicate topic concerning Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in the context. (Dragoş C. Mateescu)

Dragoș Mateescu
Dragoș Mateescu
25 May 2021
Chris Farrands: Brexit simply is not ‘done’ at all

Chris Farrands: Brexit simply is not ‘done’ at all

Even though Britain has officially left the European Union, Brexit is a process that has not yet ended, according to British expert Chris Farrands. He explained to Veridica the impact and challenges of this ongoing process.

Dragoș Mateescu
Dragoș Mateescu
19 May 2021
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