Co-founder of “Kvartal 95” and former first assistant to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky Sergei Shefir commented on the pro-Russian statements of his brother Boris Shefir, who in an interview with Radio Liberty criticized Zelensky’s policies, in particular on the Russian language, and said that with Russia “”.
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Radio Liberty notes that in a statement that the PR service of the Kvartal 95 studio passed on to the editorial office, Sergei Shefir responded by saying that he “categorically disagrees” with his brother’s position.
I categorically disagree with the position stated by my brother in an interview with your publication. Russia is an aggressor and terrorist country that started a war against our country. Russia and Putin personally must be held accountable for crimes committed against Ukrainians. Ukraine needs peace. And the formula of this world is clearly expressed by Vladimir Zelensky. I support his actions as the President of Ukraine, which he is taking for our victory, as a citizen and friend,” said Sergei Shefir.
I was born in Krivoy Rog, and it so happened that I lived in a Russian-speaking environment. This war was a turning point for me. I began to respect the Ukrainian language even more, as well as our culture and history. And our historical choice of where to go. Go only to the European Union and NATO. There are no other alternatives,” Sergei Shefir emphasized.
I had the honor of working on President Zelensky’s team, being with him in Ukraine all these years after the full-scale invasion, and I believe that our country will win this war. “I will do everything I can for this victory,” he added.
Earlier, Radio Liberty published an interview with Boris Shefir, who now lives in Germany. In an interview, he criticized Zelensky’s policies and expressed the opinion that Ukraine “needs to be friends with Russia again.”
It would be great. Of course, we need to be friends again. In general, you need to be friends with everyone, including Russia. Putin is not eternal, he will die and normal people will come. And you can always work with them,” noted Boris Shefir. “I hope Russia and I will have a great relationship once they recover from their madness.” We must definitely come and say: no, no, we need to be friends.
He added that “we are at war with Putin, not with Russia” and also expressed dissatisfaction with the situation of the Russian language and culture in Ukraine:
I love the Russian language, Russian culture… I can’t watch how monuments to Pushkin are being destroyed in the country. To me this is stupid. “If I were close (to Zelensky – ed.), I would say: let’s wrap up this matter and let’s be friends. But there are completely different settings.
Boris Shefir was a former business partner of Zelensky:
- in the early 2000s, he, along with his brother Sergei Shefir and Vladimir Zelensky, established Studio Kvartal-95. He was also one of the sponsors of Vladimir Zelensky’s election program during the 2019 election campaign;
- however, unlike his brother, who from May 2019 to March 30, 2024 was the first assistant to the president, Boris Shefir did not receive an official position in the civil service, nor was he formally involved in the political processes in Ukraine;
- at the same time, he remained in the Kvartal business until the end of 2023, when he left the co-founders of Kvartal-95 LLC, and his share passed to his brother Sergei Shefir;
- although, according to the register of legal entities, Boris Shefir still remains the head of another company of the group – Studio Kvartal-95 LLC, during an interview with Radio Liberty he stated that he had actually retired.
It should be added that due to Boris Shefir’s public statements, Zelensky disowned him at the end of May 2019. Then he gave a resonant interview to the Media Detector publication, in which he called Vladimir Putin a “smart person” with whom “one can come to an agreement,” and also criticized the quotas for the Ukrainian language introduced by the language law.
He expressed solely his own opinion. This opinion does not coincide with the position of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and the Presidential Administration, Zelensky’s press service said then.
Source: Radio Liberty
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.