"I don't know how Olha Sumska lives with it": famous 'ex-Russian' explains why we should pay close attention to those Ukrainians who choose Russia

The famous TV presenter Oleksii Sukhanov, who was born and raised in Russia, worked for a long time on Russian TV channels. He is now in Ukraine. He explained why we should not condemn famous Ukrainians whose relatives live and work in the aggressor country. However, according to him, we should not forget about Ukrainians who have sold themselves.

The TV presenter spoke about this in an interview with OBOZ.UA. According to the journalist, after the war, many of those who are now silent about the aggression will seek to return home.

Oleksii Sukhanov, who received a Ukrainian passport at the beginning of the year, says he does not understand Ukrainians who continue to live and work in Russia.

"I feel bad about it," Sukhanov says, "but I also keep one thing in mind: everyone chooses their own path. I chose it in 2014, made up my mind. And I have not regretted it for a minute. I can't travel the world, I live like everyone else, under anxiety, mentally exhausted, but I know that we are on the side of good here. Because we did not seize anyone else's property, we did not threaten anyone. We have an undeniable right to self-determination: how to live and where to go. And we do not have to coordinate this with a country that has never brought anything to a successful conclusion in its entire history. Who is Russia? It's a crowd that blows every historical opportunity. Well, give me an example when Russia took advantage of a chance and did something for the better in its development. There is no such period. So who should we look up to? Russia is a drunkard who is still pretending to be something."

When asked how he feels about the fact that the daughter of Ukrainian People's Artists Yevhen Papernyi and Olha Sumska is starring in Russian TV shows, living in Moscow and remaining silent about the war, Sukhanov says, "I don't know how Olia Sumska lives with this. But my daughter is an adult, she has to take responsibility for her actions. They say that children are not responsible for their parents. It seems to me that parents are responsible for their children, too. As a social presenter, I can give you many examples when you invest in a child but get the opposite result. It does happen. I do not condemn Olia and do not blame her for what happened to her daughter."

"However, we must not forget about those who are currently silent," the journalist adds. "Because after the war, it is possible that many will return and begin to portray patriotism. Like those who put on an embroidered shirt like they are already ours. The war proved that having an embroidered shirt in your closet does not mean that you are loyal to Ukraine. I know people who wore it every day but were the first to be abroad after the invasion. And those who did not have it and are now here."

Read the full interview with Oleksii Sukhanov on OBOZ.UA on Sunday, December 3.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!