121officials, including Zatulin, who was the incendiary of the situation in Crimea. He
was one of the creators of Russia’s revanchist policy.
When we talk about 2008 and Russia’s aggression against Georgia, we have to
wonder whether some blame should be placed on the European Union. Is there
some fault of the western world as well? I would answer yes, because when the
Medvedev-Sarkozy plan was signed (which brought a ceasefire to the conflict –
editor’s note) then it somehow was immediately forgotten. This is what can be
called a plan of pacification by the aggressor. On the other hand, it was necessary
to demand the implementation of a plan that everyone quickly forgot. Today, when
we talk about the situation with Ukraine, the same thing could happen. It would
be a mistake if everyone just calmed down and thought that the aggression is over
and nothing else will happen.
This essay is adapted from a discussion during the “Europe with a View to the Future”
forum held at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk, May 25 – 27th 2017.Translated by Yulia OreshinaNikita Petrov is a Russian historian and vice chairman of the
board of Memorial’s scientific research centre.How Russia interprets 1917, Nikita Petrov History & Memory