Babaryka: Before my release, I hadn't seen Ivan Krautsou at all. I don't know what he was doing

If Franak Viačorka is commonly considered Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's gray cardinal, then in the team of Viktar Babaryka and Maryia Kalesnikava, such a role is often attributed to Ivan Krautsou. Is this really the case? Host Nasta Rouda asked Babaryka himself about this.

The politician laughed in response.

"This question is less relevant to me. Why? Because I hadn't seen Ivan Krautsou at all until December of last year. So, I don't know what he was doing."

"You've never met him in your life before your release?" Nasta Rouda was surprised. Because Ivan Krautsou had, after all, served as the voice of Viktar Babaryka's team for the past five years while the politician was behind bars.

"Well, how would I have known [about him before]?" Viktar Babaryka admitted.

Павялічыць

Commenting on the activities of Krautsou and Anton Radnyankou, who represented the interests of "Babarykists" in exile, Babaryka outlined the evolution of his team. 

"Conventionally speaking, there was Babaryka's headquarters 1.0 — from approximately May 12 to June 18 [2020]. Then there was headquarters version 2.0 — from June 18 to September 7 [2020], when Masha was detained. Then headquarters version 3.0 — from Masha's detention until our release. And now (...) this is the formation of headquarters 4.0."

"At each stage, there were specific tasks, there were specific people, and they somehow solved them. The main actors during the period when Masha and I were detained were people who continued what had started back in headquarters 1.0. Both Ivan Krautsou and Anton Radnyankou (and not only them) are people who actually continued this work," the politician noted.

To the question of whether Krautsou influences his current decisions, Babaryka replied:

"There was a period when we didn't say anything at all. Conventionally speaking, neither I nor Masha. Then Masha started speaking, now I'm starting to speak. I'm starting to speak, but Ivan at this time is, if I understand correctly, on vacation. So, to say that he somehow influences... Well, it's hard to say."

Nevertheless, Babaryka emphasizes that he listens to the opinions of those who have worked all these years. Moreover, his circle of communication is not limited only to the headquarters:

"I have many meetings with business representatives. You know that I met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office. (...) We also met with Pal Palych [Latushka]. We intersected with political figures in Europe."

"Any of them can be called part of this unified 'gray cardinal' who influences me in some way. Undoubtedly, they influence me because I hear all these opinions," the politician believes.

However, despite such a large number of people whose opinions he listens to, Babaryka notes:

"As with the position on the press conference [in Ukraine], so it is here. If I express something, it is already my position. It is formed from the opinions of many, but once I have voiced it, it is my position and I am responsible for it. That's how I've always been accustomed.

Therefore, I can definitively say that all opinions, including Ivan's, Anton's, Masha's, and Pal Palych's, and Sviatlana's, and Franak Viačorka's — all of them are undoubtedly processed in my head and taken into account when forming my position. But to be clear: I do not voice any of theirs."

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