Oles Buzina: His Open Letter to the US Ambassador in Kiev

During the Maidan uprising, the now murdered journalist, historian and writer, Oles Buzina, wrote an open Letter to Geoffrey Pyatt, the Ambassador at the US Embassy in Kiev. It was published January 23, 2014, one month before the coup d’état on Buzina’s Blog on the Ukrainian news site segodnya.ua

Edited by @GBabeuf

Oles Buzina: His Open Letter to the US Ambassador in Kiev

Mr. Pyatt, I appeal to you as a recognised and well-known Ukrainian writer, who never asked for and never took any grants [money –ed.] from your country. This letter comes from my own initiative, there are no political parties or oligarchic groups behind it. However, I am sure my opinion coincides with the thoughts of many Ukrainian citizens whom you blatantly ignore.

The other day, when unrest on Maidan Square reached its peak, the media reported that a representative of the U.S. National Security Council, Kathleen Hayden, demanded that the Ukrainian government PULLS BACK THE SPECIAL FORCES [Berkut –ed.] from the centre of Kiev. Otherwise, she threatened sanctions against Ukrainians, including a ban on visas to enter your country.

I believe that, to a large extent, her statements as an official at the White House, are based on the information provided to Washington from the US Embassy in Ukraine—thus from you, Mr. Ambassador.

However, at the moment, public order is preserved in the capital, precisely BECAUSE “special forces” (i.e. units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) actually are in the centre of the capital of my homeland, and I would not want them to leave to anywhere based on the advice of foreigners, since the leaders of our political opposition have shown themselves so far to be unable to control the various militant groups [among them]. Please carry this simple message back to your government.

If you do not agree [with me], let us discharge the Ukrainian police protection around your Embassy in Kiev and dismantle the four metre high iron fences, which so far have protected your new residence near the metro station «Beresteyskaya», located on a street, that until not long ago bore the name «Tankovaya» [Tank-Brigade Street]. Why all these unnecessary security measures? After all, in Kiev, nothing dangerous happens, except for a FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY.

You may be surprised by my independent position. But I have achieved success in my own country without foreign aid and I believe that we ourselves, without interference from the outside, are able to solve our own problems The less U.S. officials interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine, the faster it will be counted as one among the SUCCESSFUL countries of the world.