MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/. The report by the human rights group Amnesty International that covers violations of the rules of war by Ukrainian forces reflects a lack of unity among various political quarters in the West, Chairman of the Board of the Valdai International Discussion Club’s Development and Support Foundation Andrey Bystritsky told TASS.
"I do not consider this report as a deliberate message from some generalized West to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. I think that it’s a reflection of a lack of unity in the political circles of the United States and the European Union. That’s an example of a debate, a concealed confrontation that exists in the West," he said.
The analyst said there’s a complex set of views in the world regarding the situation in Ukraine. "Amnesty International, of course, is a pro-Western organization, but it also represents different forces. There are people who are critical of Ukraine," he said. "Hostilities always breed bitterness. It's inevitable, and in this sense, Ukraine is no exception."
Bystritsky also highlighted the political struggle around the report, which, spoke about Kiev's violations of the rules of war and the deployment of military equipment and weapons in schools and hospitals. After the report was published, the head of the Ukrainian division of the organization, Oksana Pokalchuk, resigned from her post, saying that her "her views on the values" were different from those held by the leadership of Amnesty International. The group later apologized the report caused pain but said it pursued the goal of protecting civilians.
"We are seeing a media-based and political struggle around this document, which confirmed, by the way, many statements by the Russian side about the tactics and strategy of the Ukrainian military," Bystritsky said. "From the discussions in political circles and from various sentiments in the Western society, we are seeing that there is no such thing as unequivocal and completely straightforward support for Ukraine.".