Former business partner of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Studio Kvartal-95 Borys Shefir has declared his love for Russian culture, nostalgia for the USSR, and called for friendship with Russia.
He said this in an interview with Radio Liberty.
In particular, he said that he considers the demolition of monuments dedicated to Russian writers to be "stupid." He also does not like the Government's actions regarding the Russian language, considering them wrong. He expressed hope for "excellent relations" with Russia as soon as they "recover from their madness."
He also said that Ukraine should be friends with Russia, not the European Union.
"It would be great. Of course, of course, we need to be friends again. In general, we need to be friends with everyone, including Russia... Listen, we showed them how to live: we actually organized the Soviet Union and 15 republics lived together. They took it all from us and organized the European Union. And now 24 countries are living beautifully, and what? And we have abandoned our invention. It will all go downhill," he added.
Regarding the end of the war, he said that there will be no winner, but instead an agreement according to which: "We [Ukraine] will have to make concessions, they [Russia] will have to give up something."
Later, Radio Liberty published a statement from the PR-Service of Kvartal 95, where Borys's brother, former adviser to the President Serhiy Shefir, wrote that he did not share the expressed position. He also emphasized that the Head of State is doing everything to defeat the aggressor country.
"Russia is an aggressor and terrorist country that has unleashed a war against our country. Russia and Putin personally must be held accountable for the crimes committed against Ukrainians. Ukraine needs peace. And the formula for this peace is clearly expressed by Volodymyr Zelensky. I support his actions as President of Ukraine, which he is doing for our victory, as a citizen and a friend," the letter reads.
He noted that he was originally from Kryvyi Rih and lived in a Russian-speaking community, but the war changed everything. It was a "turning point" for him personally.
"I began to respect the Ukrainian language even more, as well as our culture and history. But our historical choice is where we will move. We can only join the European Union and NATO. There are no other options. I was honored to work in President Zelensky's team, to be with him in Ukraine all these years after the full-scale invasion, and I believe that our country will win this war. I will do everything I can for this victory," he said.
Borys Shefir was Zelensky's business partner in the past. Together they founded Studio Kvartal-95 in the early 2000s.
He now lives in Germany and does not intend to return to Ukraine until the war is over.