For Mezinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, Ukraine is the "homeland" that his fathers gave their lives to defend.
| Author: Zheng Aotian
| Editor: Xu Ye
| Editor: Su Rui Lingyun
On February 28, the Russian-Ukrainian delegation held the first round of negotiations.
The two sides talked for 5 hours, but there was no agreement, and it was decided to change places to talk again.
"Of course, we hope to reach a consensus (with the Ukrainian side) as soon as possible, which is in the interest of both sides." Vladimir Mezinski, head of the Russian delegation and assistant to the president, said before the meeting.
As Putin's right-hand man, Mezinski shouldered a heavy responsibility on this trip. What is less known is that he was once "half Ukrainian" in the confrontation with the Ukrainian side at the negotiating table.
Clash with the Ukrainian delegation
Before the negotiations began, Russia and Ukraine had clashed at the site of the negotiations.
The Russian side believes that the two sides should hold talks in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, where the Minsk Agreement was previously signed.
The Ukrainian side believes that the place of talks must be selected in Warsaw, Poland, Istanbul, Turkey, and other NATO cities, and cannot be selected in Belarus.
In the end, with the good offices of Belarusian President Lukashenko, the two sides made concessions and agreed to choose the venue for negotiations in the Belarusian-Ukrainian border city of Gomel.
Exterior view of the negotiating site filmed in the Gomel Oblast of Belarus. Photo credit: Xinhua News Agency/Satellite News Agency
Mezinski served as the head of the Russian delegation, and the Ukrainian delegation was led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Leznikov.
Russian presidential press secretary Peskov said the appointment of Mezinski was the result of deep consideration by the Russian side. "He (Mezinski) has strong negotiation skills and is a high-level representative. He is exactly the man we need for this negotiation. ”
The Russian-Ukrainian delegation began the first round of negotiations. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
After the first round of talks, the Ukrainian president's office said that the talks did not achieve the expected results, but the Ukrainian side understood the position of the Russian side and the conditions for ending the war.
Mezinski said, "The two sides have found some places where they can reach consensus in the future." He also said that the main progress of the negotiations was the agreement between the two sides to hold the next talks on the Belarusian-Polish border.
Outside the negotiating room, the confrontation is also continuing.
Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke and put forward three conditions for Russia to solve the Ukrainian problem: Ukraine recognizes Russia's sovereignty over Crimea, completes the demilitarization and "de-Nazismization" of Ukraine, and ensures Ukraine's neutrality.
Putin (infographic).
As a "young zhuang faction" official hand-picked up by Putin, Mezinski has been a loyal implementer of Putin's policies. Therefore, Putin's attitude is likely to determine The "red line" of Mezzensky in future negotiations.
It is worth mentioning that for Mezinski, Ukraine is the "homeland" that his father gave up to defend.
Due to myopia, he was not admitted to the command college
In 1970, Mezinski was born into a family of ethnic Russian soldiers in the Ukrainian city of Smyla.
His grandfather fought in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union against Nazi German troops in Ukraine.
His father served in the Soviet Strategic Missile Unit and was involved in the rescue of the Chernobyl nuclear accident as a nuclear expert, making great contributions to protecting the Ukrainian people.
Scene inside an abandoned school near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. Image source: Xinhua Net
Mezinski spent his childhood in Ukraine.
Because he often changed stations with his father, his childhood life was "turbulent and displaced", and he developed the habit of reading alone.
He recalled that his favorite book in his childhood was the soviet children's writer Mitaev's military science book "Book for Future Commanders".
Mezinski (infographic)
The family background of the generations of military service and the life of the military camp made Mezinski eager to join the Soviet army like his father from an early age.
In 1980, my father was transferred to the Soviet Ministry of Defense, and the Mezinski family moved to Moscow. He graduated from high school with honors, but was rejected by the Moscow Higher Composite Command Academy due to his eyesight.
The trajectory of Mezinski's life has changed completely.
He was eventually admitted to the Moscow Institute of International Relations. At this university, which trained Soviet diplomats, his "academic bully" potential quickly blossomed, becoming the school's "star student".
During his time at the university, Mezinski not only won the "Lenin Scholarship" several times, but also became a member of the student council of the Academic Council. According to his classmates, Uzinski was "highly remembered" in college and had a great interest in military history and political science.
In 1989, Mezinski and his classmates founded the first private advertising agency in the Soviet Union and signed an advertising agreement with the Soviet government agency Newspaper Izvestia.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Uzinski, who was familiar with the advertising industry, went to the sea with his classmates to start a business. In 1993, he earned his first pot of gold, returned to his alma mater to pursue a doctorate in political science, and stayed on to teach after graduation.
After that, Mezinski "learned and excelled". In 2001, as a consultant in the Russian tax department, he joined the "United Russia" party established by Putin and gradually moved closer to the political center of Russia.
Become Putin's "cultural deputy"
During his tenure in the Russian State Duma (Parliament), Mezinski was also busy publishing books.
In 2008, he published the "Myths about Russia" series of books, which systematically refuted a series of Western prejudices against Russians such as "alcoholism, cruelty, and laziness" while constructing the Russian national history.
The publication of this set of books earned Mezzenski the reputation of "expert in history and culture" in the State Duma, and also attracted the attention of the Kremlin.
At the end of 2011, Mezinski was "upset" in the Russian Duma election.
But it was also the year that he was appointed a member of the Russian World Foundation by then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, responsible for promoting and promoting Russian culture internationally.
The following year, Putin was elected president of Russia for the third time, formally appointing Mezinski as Russia's minister of culture. Mezzensky thus became part of Putin's "political team."
Mezzinski (right) in conversation with Putin. (Image source: Office of the President of Russia)
After taking office, Mezinski made the development of the Russian film industry a top priority, not only introducing a large number of support and protection measures for the Russian film industry, but also including watching domestic films in the Russian school curriculum.
During his tenure, Russia successively launched patriotic films such as "The Hunt for T-34" and "The Battle of Lezhev", and the total domestic box office of Russian films also increased by 2.3 times.
The movie poster for The Hunt for T-34.
In telling the heroic story of the Soviet era, to avoid causing ideological controversy, Mezinski cited ancient Greek mythology and emphasized that Russian heroes were "beyond ideology."
During his tenure, he participated in the organization of several major historical commemorations, including the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union in 2015 and the 400th anniversary of the establishment of the Romanov dynasty in 2013.
Russia held a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. (Source: Xinhua Net)
Although he did not join the army, Mezinski has always had a deep "military complex".
Asked who was his favorite historical figure, he highlighted Russia's famous "general of the winds", Gregory Potemkin. The latter presided over the military modernization of the era of Empress Catherine and was a legend in Russia.
For this reason, Mezinski actively promoted the development of the military film industry, and also cooperated with the Russian Military History Society to promote activities such as "military summer camps" in schools.
Uzinski, who participates in the activities of the Russian Military Historical Society. (Image source: website of the Russian Military Historical Society)
Having made a splash in his role as minister of culture, Mezinski was promoted in 2020 and appointed by Putin as an assistant to the president, responsible for assisting the president in his core state affairs.
In this regard, Mezzensky became one of Putin's "confidants" and entered the core circle of power in Russia.
Mezinski's appointment as the head of the Russian delegation to Ukraine at this time proves Putin's trust in Mezinsky on the core affairs of the country and highlights his rising importance in Putin's political team.
At present, it is reported that the next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine is expected to be held in the Belarusian-Polish border area on March 2.
At that time, Mezinski will sit at the negotiating table and talk with the Ukrainian delegation about what and how to talk, which will attract the world's attention.
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