The stance of the Western media in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is unmistakable.
Russia's government - centered around President Putin - is the aggressor.
The Ukrainian government is the victim that has to defend itself.
Reports about Russia are almost without exception negative, "there is no freedom of the press etc.".
You hardly hear anything negative about Ukraine.
Ukrainian journalist and TV presenter Diana Panchenko paints a very different picture.
She reaches an audience of millions on YouTube and has 300,000 followers on her Telegram channel.
The editor Sascha A. Roßmüller of the German magazine and portal "DEUTSCHE STIMME" conducted an interview
with Panchenko, which was published on October 11, 2024.
The "DEUTSCHE STIMME" - founded in 1976 - places "the national interest in the foreground" and makes
its contribution to a balanced formation of opinion.
Listen to an excerpt from the interview below.
It represents an important counter-voice to the one-sided reporting of the Western media.
And it also shows a way out of the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine with Europe.
Panchenko on the discrimination and harassment she faced as a Ukrainian journalist
Being a journalist in Ukraine is a thankless job.
In my 15 years in this job, I was attacked three times.
I receive threats every day.
(Ukrainian President) Zelenskyi has imposed personal sanctions against me.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against me and I am facing a life sentence - all because of a post on
Telegram saying that we need peace talks to save Ukraine.
I'm not joking, it's all in my files.
When I hear that Ukraine is fighting for its freedom in this war, it makes me uneasy,
because I know that there is no freedom there.
My programs used to have the highest ratings of all Ukrainian news media.
I won a Journalist of the Year award.
And when the war started I was in Kiev. (...) I know what I'm talking about. (...)
But the government is doing everything in its power to silence me.
Panchenko reports on developments in Ukraine since the Maidan in 2014
But let's start from the beginning:
I was a reporter during the events on the Maidan.
I was there every day and saw the mob throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the police.
I have seen people being paid for provocations.
But you won't hear about it in the Western media.
After the success of the Maidan, the government introduced strict censorship.
The minority took control of the majority.
It was a death sentence to say that you were against the Maidan and did not support the coup.
At that time, several well-known journalists were murdered in Ukraine.
Like the murder of Oles Buzina.
The investigation is still ongoing, although everyone knows who did it.
After the Maidan, I worked at the "NewsOne" channel.
Our attitude was honest and unbiased.
We have reported on the corruption of Selenskyj and his team.
We offered a platform to supporters of the Minsk Agreement and Ukraine's neutral status.
We have worked for peace.
Selenskyj closed our channel - and two others - in February 2021.
This happened a year before the war - a further indication that he already knew what was to come.
He tried to delete all alternative sources of information.
Panchenko reports on developments in Ukraine after the start of the war on February 24, 2022
When the war started, I was in Kiev.
I was immediately declared an enemy of the state: the hunt began. There were several attacks against me.
Since the beginning of the war, the dictatorship in Ukraine has intensified. All television stations have been closed.
There is only one left who is under Selensky's control.
All known journalists were visited by the "SBU" (Ukraine's domestic intelligence service).
It even threatened the safety of my relatives.
Any criticism of the authorities is seen as treason.
Since the beginning of the war, the "SBU" has initiated over 2,500 criminal proceedings on political charges.
Some of my colleagues have disappeared. Others have been tortured. Many of them are in prison.
It was only thanks to my fame that I survived and was able to leave the country - to work as a
journalist and also to preserve my moral integrity. (...)
Panchenko on the reasons for the Russian-Ukrainian war
The Russian-Ukrainian war was no accident.
The preparations to sacrifice Ukraine have not just been going on for the last 30 years.
They have been running since the end of the Second World War.
To understand where Ukraine's path could lead, just take a look at the map.
We just had to remain neutral - not pro-Russian, but simply neutral, in other words, "keep us out of trouble".
Instead, NATO was allowed to build up its infrastructure in Ukraine. This all began before 1991.
Even before the end of the Second World War, the British and American secret services were working
with Ukrainian nationalists against the USSR. (...)
Ukraine had two options.
Option one: neutrality and good relations with Russia.
Option two: a buffer zone and war - to the last man.
[Ukraine has opted for the second option - or more accurately - this was chosen for Ukraine.
I will not list the resources that the West has spent to turn the Ukrainians against the
Russians. - Enough is already known about that.
As someone who is as old as modern Ukraine, I have to say that we are part of a great experiment.
Propaganda has turned the members of a family into enemies.
It starts at school, where Russia is portrayed as the cause of all our problems.
All those who called for peace and warned us were deposed, killed or thrown into prison. (...)
Panchenko reports on the role of Selenskyj
I know Selenskyj a little. I know his team.
He is addicted to fame and hates all criticism.
This may not necessarily be bad for an actor, but it is absolutely unacceptable for a politician - let alone a president.
However, Selenskyj is currently making virtually no decisions.
The US State Department makes these decisions for him, and Jake Sullivan (the National
Security Advisor under Biden) is his superior. (...)
Panchenko on the question of who sits in the White House - Donald Trump or Kamala Harris?
I think it's a gross oversimplification to say that Mr. Trump will end the war.
But I would love to be wrong.
Ukraine is definitely supporting the Biden administration in this election campaign. (...)
Panchenko on the development of increasing tensions, whether it could escalate into a widespread catastrophe
I hate being the bearer of bad news.
But I see no prospect of de-escalation.
We live in a world where you can't call a spade a spade.
To put it simply: The warmongers will not allow it.
The world is ruled by an aggressive minority.
They suppress, destroy or kill anyone who disagrees with them.
They also camouflage their crimes with supposedly progressive ideas and democratic labeling.
The Maidan events have basically spread all over the world (...).
Three centuries ago, Immanuel Kant declared in his philosophical essay "Towards Perpetual Peace" that humanity can
achieve universal peace either through universal enlightenment or through a devastating conflict.
Unfortunately, it looks as if only something terrible will make people think.
And that means that more people will die.
I would love to be wrong, but it looks like the next phase of escalation is an all-out war between
Russia and NATO. In Ukraine and in Europe. (...)
It pains me to say this, but today Europe is following in Ukraine's footsteps by making decisions that harm its own people.
I love Germany and I've been there before.
I respect its great culture and admire the hard work of its people, and I can only wish that Germany regains its sovereignty.
There can be no Europe without a strong Germany.
And to be strong, it must pursue its national interests.
Panchenko on her personal future
My main goal is to help people understand each other.
The root of all evil is ignorance.
For years, a wall has been erected between Russians and Ukrainians with the aim of ensuring
that they know next to nothing about each other.
And now they are building a similar wall between Russia and Europe.
Today I am concentrating on telling people the truth about the war in Ukraine in order to prevent an even greater conflict.
I publish videos on my X account.
My book (entitled "The Inevitable") will soon be published in Europe and the US, and I'm also planning a movie adaptation.
- I pray for peace for us all and hope that common sense will prevail.