Not everyone who fought is a hero in peaceful life — Tuka
18 October 07:27
OPINION
Combat experience does not give an indulgence for crimes. In an interview with "Komersant Ukrainian", Heorhiy Tuka, a volunteer since the Maidan and Deputy Minister for the Temporarily Occupied Territories in 2016-2019, spoke about the downside of heroism at the front, corruption in the government, and changing values in Ukrainian politics.
Tuka emphasizes that participation in hostilities cannot be an excuse for crimes. According to him, there are known cases when ATO veterans, including volunteers from 2014-2016, were involved in crime after the fighting:
“We can give examples of how yesterday’s volunteers were involved in banditry and raiding. This is not fiction – there are criminal cases. And I fully agree with the thesis: participation in hostilities cannot be an indulgence.
The volunteer and politician talks about the double life of some veterans:
“I know of examples when a person fights heroically during the day, and at night is engaged in robbery, smuggling, or arms trafficking. Unfortunately, there are many such cases.
Tuka is against generalizations about “bad police officers“ or “corrupt judges”. He gives an example:
“I personally know a top judge who has been at war for the second time. And not all officials are lining their pockets. There were absolutely honest, decent people in my team. Perhaps even idealists.
However, he admits that the situation has changed significantly in recent years:
“When I was working, there were 70-80% of such idealists. Today it is 2-5%. The vast majority of the current authorities are looters and cynics.
According to Tuka, the current political elite does not see their future in Ukraine:
“The main goal of the majority is not to serve the country, but to secure a material future for themselves and their families. And many of them do not see themselves in this country.
Heorhiy Tuka calls for neither the government nor the combatants to be idealized, demanding accountability for all, regardless of status. His words sound like a warning: heroism should not be a cover for crimes, and power should not be an instrument of personal enrichment.
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