NZZ special correspondent Ulrich Schmid is traveling from Kiev to Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine this morning. In an interview, he shares his impressions from the trip and tells how he experiences the atmosphere in the country.
A gas station cafe between Kiev and Poltava. “People are tense, but they cover it up well,” says NZZ correspondent Ulrich Schmid.
Good morning Ulrich. You’re on your way to Kharkiv. Where can I reach you right now?
This morning at six I left Kiev. Now we are somewhere between Kiev and Poltava, about 120 kilometers from Kiev. At the moment we are sitting in a very cozy breakfast restaurant. I am surrounded by very well dressed, very civilized, cultured and decent people. Everything is absolutely western.
So not the way Putin describes Ukraine.
No. It shows once again that Putin lives in an absolutely parallel world. He paints this picture of Ukraine as a state that has been looted by vicious fascists and oligarchs, that is impoverished and where the population has nothing left to eat. But that’s not true. In the 1990s I drove this route very often. In Soviet times there was not much more on the road than shabby stalls where you could get coffee and maybe a piece of bread. Today there is everything at the numerous petrol stations, including wonderful coffee.
Music is playing in the background. It doesn’t sound like a war mood at all.
Nothing smells like war here. It’s absolutely quiet, the people are easy-going, calm, friendly and helpful.
Didn’t Putin’s speech and the announcement to send troops to Donetsk and Luhansk trigger anything?
Everyone I’ve spoken to so far says: if anything, the defensive attitude of the Ukrainians and their determination to defend themselves by any means necessary has only been strengthened. Of course, they can also encourage themselves. It is very important what happens now. Putin has recognized the two so-called People’s Republics and has troops marched in there. Does he stop then? Or does he go ahead with an invasion of Ukraine? All Ukrainians are extremely excited about this.
How are people reacting?
They’re tense, but they cover it up very well and are actually relatively calm and composed. Everyone knows exactly what is going on. I’m sure many are scared, it’s an eerie feeling of being threatened. But they don’t let that show. They sit here and eat and laugh.
Nevertheless, the situation must be very stressful.
The eternal wait for Putin’s next step has characterized the whole situation for months. You sit here and wait to see what Putin does. Many people complain that they are not the acting subject but the absolute object in this game – a pawn on the chessboard. This permanent incapacitation upsets people.
How has the journey gone so far?
We’re on the big road that goes through Poltava to Kharkiv. Traffic is normal, with numerous vehicles traveling in both directions. But you don’t notice anything of a flight movement. We overtook two military convoys, but they weren’t that big. There were no tanks.
You’re on your way to Kharkiv. What are you doing there?
I will take a look at the situation on site. Kharkiv lies in a possible path of entry. Across the Russian border lies Belgorod, where many troops have been massed. It is possible that there will be an attack from the Russian side. But that could also be a diversionary tactic to tie down Ukrainian forces. These are standard warfare tactics. We’ll see what’s up and then we’ll react. My goal is to go to the front, to Luhansk and Donetsk, and to report from there.
Russia can attack Ukraine from different directions
How is it for you to be a correspondent in Ukraine?
I’m tense too, of course. I don’t know what’s coming. It has always tempted me not to know what to expect. But I’m tense and very worried. It is also very interesting for me because I experienced Ukraine as a Soviet republic. It’s impressive how the country has developed, how western the people are, how relaxed and self-confident. This is a huge difference from the Soviet Union.
How do you meet the Ukrainians?
If they are convinced Ukrainians – patriots who love their country – they treat me with absolute openness and warmth. Only those who mourn the Soviet Union dislike Westerners and tend to be suspicious. Like Putin, they presumably sense that things will get uncomfortable for them if Ukraine continues to develop in the direction of democracy and the rule of law.
