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Press TV has conducted an interview with Andre Vltchek, a journalist and film maker from Bangkok, about a statement released by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen saying Russia will be committing a historical mistake if it further intervenes in Ukraine.

Press TV: What do you think Russia’s role in the unrest in Ukraine is? Do you think that Russia is involved in what’s happening now in Donetsk, in Kharkiv and other areas? 

Vltchek: First of all I spent one week driving all around Ukraine – about 2,000 kilometers and I went to two border towns. One next to Kharkiv and one close to Odessa with Moldova.

I crossed two borders; I didn’t see any movement of Russian military equipment. I think that reports from NATO and reports from the West are exaggerated. I’m not saying there is not Russia military equipment in the area, what I want to say is that at two major border crossings the only military equipment I saw was Ukrainian, from the Ukrainian side.

Press TV: We’ve got John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, saying that Russia is paying operatives to carry out operations in Ukraine that are causing this unrest and this violence.

Do you think that Russia is interested in creating this unrest? What could its intentions be?

Vltchek: I don’t think it’s interested and I don’t think it has much to gain at this point.

I have to share with you my experience from Ukraine where I talked to people from steel mills, I spoke to old people on the farms, I interviewed students in Kharkiv and my impression is that the majority of the country is appalled by the coup in Kiev, which was definitely supported by the West and the majority of the people I spoke to were very pro-Russian.

So I don’t really think there is a need for Russia to support or to finance anything.

I worked very closely with the leaders of the left group in Kharkiv in Kiev and today basically... I am absolutely clear that there is no funding or help they are receiving from Russia - I’m talking about one of the major opposition movements.

I think this is basically propaganda, which is coming from the West, which tries to discredit Russia.

Basically Western countries destabilized Ukraine. They are fully responsible for the situation in which the country is right now and they are trying to pass the blame on Russia, which actually did not take any action at the beginning because it was during the Olympics.

I find it absolutely hypocritical.