Ukrainian Ambassador fears for the safety of refugees in Portugal and warned Government about pro-Russian organizations that welcome them
In an exclusive interview with CNN Portugal, the ambassador of Ukraine says that she has been investigating organizations since 2016, which she describes as pro-Russian at the High Commissioner for Migration and highlights that the Russian Embassy has an active role in disinformation about the conflict.
The Ukrainian embassy fears for the safety of refugees from Ukrainian refugees who arrive in the country, because, reveals an ambassador at Innana Portugal, “organizations are infiltrated in support of refugees” who “can-pro-Russian” about data on personal refugees and information of their relatives who fight in the Ukrainian army”.
Diplomat Inna Ohnivets, who are five ambassadors since 201, explains that she has already alerted the Government to the fact that out of the eight Ukrainian communities elected to the High Commission for Migration organizations, only two were recognized as Ukrainian. “There is a need to exclude pro-Russian associations from the list of representatives of the Ukrainian community in Portugal,” she says.
The ambassador also highlights that some associations have cooperated with the Russian Embassy, even after the conflict between the two began, and refer that they have carried out an investigation 16 to these organizations that now “want to withdraw this information so as not to show their connection with Russia. , or with the Russian world”, he warns.
CNN – The Association of Ukrainians in Portugal alerted, on April 2, the Portuguese Republic’s Information Services to the presence of “agents of Russian influence” in some organizations they host. To point out the fact that some complaints from associations that have the electoral cult of the High Commissioner for Migration links to agencies that answer directly to the Kremlin, such as the Rossotrudnichestvo and the Foundation Russia Mir. Is the Embassy aware of this, do you feel that these are dangerous connections?
N/A list of the High Commissioner for Migration there are pro-Russian associations. But they are on the list of Ukrainian associations. We have already called attention and met with the High Commissioner for Migration about this situation, which is not acceptable.
CNN – What were the results of the meeting you had with the High Commissioner for Migration?
We discussed this issue, and there was also a telephone conversation with a current Secretary of State for Equality and Migration, with Dr. Sara Abrantes Guerreiro, and we agreed that it needs to be resolved. Opinion, we need to amend this list and exclude as branch-associations have to be included only cranial ones that represent the cranial Suau community.
CNN – Are there associations with ties to Russia that represent the Ukrainian community and refugees?
There is the EDINSTVO association, which is headed by Igor Khashin, a Russian citizen. This association is linked to the Russian embassy and also the association to this citizen, during a meeting with me in 2016, confirmed that this association has no entity with Ukraine. This association is Russian. For example, associations like Amizade – Associação de Imigrantes de Gondomar and Associação MIR have nothing to do with Ukraine and Ukrainian women here. Association these associations also participate in the associations for the representative of the Ukrainian community and that representative of the Ukrainian community elected by these associations, Nataliya Khmil, does not represent Ukraine.
CNN – CNN Portugal contacted Nataliya Khmil who explained that, in 2008, she joined the foundation Russia Mir – created by Vladimir Putin to promote Russian language and culture because he was promised an offer of children, but that he cut that connection in 2015 and that his books contacts with representatives of the Russian Federation were restricted in the cultural and educational. Still, does the ambassador feel that these connections are dangerous? Do you think they make it impossible for you to represent Ukraine in the High Commission?
There has been a war between Ukraine and Russia for eight years, and from 2014 onwards, associations such as Amizade, MIR and EDINSTVO continued their cooperation with the Russian Embassy. This means that they don’t really offer communication with the Russian world. In this different case, the Amizade association, led by Mrs Natalyia Khmil, also has a dance group that participates in cultural events, such as the Russian National Day, and that was already during the time of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
For me it is a surprise attitude that a lady has loved us since they arrived in Portugal, because I don’t believe in her lady since we arrived in Portugal, because I don’t believe in her lady with the Ukrainians. She participates in different events, with representatives of the Russian embassy in Portugal, as well as representatives of the Rossotrunichestvo agency. Of course, this situation is currently not acceptable. In my opinion, representatives of the pro-Russian associations, which operate here, cannot participate in the reception of Ukrainian refugees.
CNN – There is a similar situation, but with regard to Russian President Igor Khashin, who was one of the two at EDINSTVO. Khashin went director of the Council of Russian Compatriots in Portugal and its association is recognized by the High Commission as representing Ukraine.
The Municipality of Setúbal has a very active collaboration with the EDINSTVA Association. And on the premises of the City Council, there is an office of Mr. Igor Khashin, so this association is installed right in the council of Setúbal.
CNN – In fact, this association has a cooperation protocol since 2005 with the Municipality of Setúbal. Igor Khashin was, moreover, supporter of mayor André Martins (CDU) during the last campaign for local authorities. But there are other cases of representatives of the Ukrainian community who have links to Russian entities, namely Lyudmyla Bila, president of the Immigrant Support Association, whose association was also registered with the foundation. Russia Mir and was also a member of the Council of Russian Compatriots. Also Yulia Gundarina from the MIR Association who is currently the chairman of the same board. In his opinion, shouldn’t these associations welcome Ukrainian refugees?
In the case of hosting Ukrainian refugees, this can jeopardize the security of Ukrainians arriving in Portugal.
CNN – Why?
Because, for example, these pro-Russian associations have a very close connection with the Embassy that you can receive about their data, but also about Russian family members who are now in Ukraine and participating in the Ukrainian army and can also inform their family members about the situation on the territory of Ukraine. And this information is also interesting, of course, for Russian intelligence.
CNN – And out of all eight broadcasts, only two are recognized by the Embassy, right?
In the list on the website of the High Commissioner for Migration, two Ukrainian organizations – the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal and the Christian Movement of Ukrainians in Portugal – with which we have a very active cooperation and they also have different cultural initiatives, about Ukrainian culture and history. Currently, the situation is as follows: Currently, there is a Russian organization that are really Russian, because they promote Russian, which are organized in the college and the Russian language.
CNN – The Association of Ukrainians in Portugal also warns that, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, internet content that established these links between Russian associations and organizations has disappeared. Do you think this was proposed?
When we were made since 2016, we searched about these associations pro-search for information as to perceive any connection with the Russian embassy, we noticed that this work is being informed of social networks, of internet pages. This means that these associations want to withdraw this information so as not to show their connection with Russia or the Russian world, but the Russian world means an aggressive ideology.
As we can see, for example in Butcha and Iran, the Russian occupiers committed atrocities enacted against the Ukrainian population. Putin’s Russia’s intention is to eliminate everything and establish his fascist regime. Putin uses the word fascist for Ukrainians and he declares that he wants to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine, but fascists live in Russia, not Ukraine. For this plan, he uses instruments such as deinformation, total lies and also these pro-Russian associations that operate throughout the territory of European countries, which establish communities and contacts as well as places to disseminate training on Ukraine.
CNN – Do you believe that the Russian embassy played an active role in the disinformation campaign in Portugal?
The embassy here has the Portuguese people supporting the activity of Russian troops. It says that about 30% of the population supports Russia’s war against Ukraine, but that is total disinformation. Because I have daily communication with representatives of the Portuguese state, with different associations of civil society and they all support Ukraine in this war because, in fact, Russia committed many war crimes against Ukraine.
CNN – Precisely, in the Telegram of the Russian Embassy a survey has been repeatedly carried out on the percentage of Portuguese who are in solidarity with the Russian position. The final number available is 33% in favor. Is this an example of that campaign you’re talking about?
Of course, this information about the support of the Portuguese to the Russian against Ukraine does not correspond to the truth and, for example, the Portuguese actively in natural aid for the Ukrainians, also through the reception of the Ukrainians who fled the occupied territory. This means, in my opinion, that the community is fully up to date with the values of our Portuguese government and that it is a defender, not only of the Ukrainian people and their sovereignty, but also of the democrats of the whole of Europe.