Leonid Kravchuk has always been considered an excellent speaker and interlocutor. Quotes from his numerous interviews and speeches have been retold from decade to decade. Some of them have survived only in the memory of his contemporaries.

We have collected the most memorable statements of the first president.

“Ukraine can be proud of the fact that it is, was and became in 1991 the country that overthrew the Soviet Union – the last empire, the most terrible,” – said Leonid Kravchuk in August 2016 on the anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine’s independence.

In an interview with the BBC, he assured that his signature on the document on the liquidation of the USSR – the most important act of his life.

“This is the most important year, month, day and hour in my life, when I signed the liquidation of the USSR. This is the most important thing I did in my life. I managed to fulfill the will of the Ukrainian people. I fulfilled the will of the Ukrainian people – to destroy the USSR, I am happy that I did it, “said Mr. Kravchuk.

“We with nuclear weapons, without control systems, tests, recovery, were like a monkey holding a grenade and holding a” check “. She was told not to let go, she holds. And then she got tired and she let go,” – Leonid Kravchuk responded to criticism in 2016 over Ukraine’s renunciation of nuclear weapons in 1994.

Although Kravchuk was preparing the Budapest Memorandum, it was signed by Leonid Kuchma.

“Kiss, but do not go to bed, do not go to someone else’s house, have your own apartment. This is the policy should be,” – Leonid Kravchuk advised the Ukrainian authorities to build relations with Russia. These words were heard in August 2010.

Eleven years later, in June 2021, in an interview with Ukraine 24 TV channel, Leonid Kravchuk said: “I will shoot to the last – as long as my hands are holding my weapon and I will see the enemy. I will kill him. What will happen next? I don’t care, but I will kill him. “

In honor of the former president, the people in the early 90’s began to name a bag on wheels, with which millions of Ukrainians traveled to trade around the country and abroad.

“Those who traveled with the” tailor “in the 90’s now have their own business, and those who ran with the flag, still runs with him,” – said Leonid Kravchuk in December 2012 in an interview with “Proposal”

Leonid Kravchuk’s most famous phrase concerns Leonid Kuchma’s activities as Prime Minister of Ukraine, although he is now winged in various situations.

It was Kravchuk who recommended Kuchma for the post and it was he who later lost in the early presidential election.

“We have what we have,” is a quote that has become winged and even became the title of one of the first president’s books.

When I became president, my wife drove a Lada, and the family had no security. you have a resuscitation car, stay at home, do you have to go to work on horseradish ?! ” – Leonid Kravchuk was indignant in July 2012 in an interview with Kraina magazine.

“Do you know what the biggest problem of our government is? Any sniffer believes that if he gets into parliament, he is already a great politician,” the former president said in December 2008, commenting on the political situation in the country.

“The Maidan was started by some people, and other people came to power who have such an attitude to this Maidan as I do to the solar eclipse,” Leonid Kravchuk was indignant in 2017 , analyzing the events of the Euromaidan.

“Only the dead and fools do not change their point of view,” Leonid Kravchuk said in June 2009 when asked why he began supporting a broad coalition between Yulia Tymoshenko’s and Viktor Yanukovych’s parties if he argued for months that it was impossible. .

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