Significantly more ties between countries at community level needed to limit Russia's influence – Zelenskyy
If Russian universities continue to respect international criminals, then all of Russia's neighbors need to think about how to limit its influence on countries, media, and education. This requires significantly more connections not only at the political level, but also at the community level, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“As long as Russian schools do not teach humanity, agreements with Russia will not work. As long as Russian universities can count international criminals among their distinguished graduates, all of us – Russia’s neighbors – must take care of our security. And if Russia continues in this way, we must all think about how to continue limiting its influence on our countries, on our economies, on our culture, on our media, on our education – on our children,” Zelenskyy said, speaking at the 5th First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit on Thursday.
He added that “when we talk about isolating Russia for the war, we are speaking of much more than sanctions alone.” According to him, “we are in fact speaking of self-defense – of preserving people and humanity in our countries.”
Therefore, the President emphasized that there is a need for a family policy and support for families in countries that would give parents more opportunities to see how their children grow up and how they live.
“We need far more connections between countries not only at the level of politics, but also at the level of communities, at the level of our people. And this includes school exchanges and opportunities for students. We must pay attention to everything – from the content children watch to cooperation at the university level,” the head of state noted.
Zelenskyy stressed that there is something in the Russian culture that inevitably leads it to war.
“Which of Russia's neighbors has it not yet fought with? All of them. Even China they once tried to humiliate and colonize,” he said.
“Can Russian schoolchildren or students today learn, in the course of their education, about this true history of Russia? Of course not. Russia’s political dishonesty is largely built on its academic dishonesty – on the dishonesty of those who teach its children,” the President stressed.