Mayar Maged Magda Shaheen Interview

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JRMC 202 Interview Project
Transcript

Interviewer: Mayar Maged
Narrator: Magda Shaheen
Place: American University in Cairo
Professor: Kim Fox





Mayar Maged Magda Shaheen Interview

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The following is a transcript for the interview with Dr. Madga Shaheen, about the issues
in Crimea and Russia. She discusses the interest of Russia in Crimea and mentions her
thoughts about the future of Crimea.
Maged: Hi everyone this is Mayar Maged and I am interviewing Dr. and
ambassador Magda Shaheen Director of Prince Al Waleed Bin Talaal
Center for American Studies at the AUC. Dr Shaheen what do think might
be the future of Ukraine according to what is happening now?
Shaheen: The future of Ukraine will have to be decided by its own people, and
certainly there is the split among Ukraine and the Crimea, which the
Russians believe it is theres and they would end and that they already
have entered to make it an annexed to Russia, and certainly the
suggested referendum could be the way out; however, at this stage they
certainly many Ukraine and the US, as well as many European countries,
believe that Russia has an edge as the people living in Crimea and who
have entered recently, certainly till the balance in the favor of Russia. So,
there should be certainly a way to find how to deal with this problem of
Crimea without certainly any larger international implications.
Maged: Do you think that Russia is interested in Crimea that is why it is
intervening?
Shaheen: You have to divide, you have to distinguish between Ukraine and Crimea
Mayar Maged Magda Shaheen Interview

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is only a part of Ukraine, and certainly there is a huge interest in Ukraine
on the part of European countries as well as on the part of the US, Ukraine
is, and certainly even more in the part of Russia, because Russia believe
that Ukraine is the extension of its sphere of interest and it always has
been part of the national interest of Russia and certainly this kind of shift
towards Europe will weaken the situation, Russia, and the interest of
Europe. Ukraine is a huge country and certainly having it to split it from
Russia is weakening Russia, which could be one of major objectives in the
part of Europe and the US as well.
Maged: Do you think that this interest is severe that it will cause Russian military
intervention?
Shaheen: From their point of views yes, when they want to, when Ukraine has
shown more tendencies to ally itself with Europe so there is certainly a
danger here and Russia will have to see how to keep Crimea Russian
territory as long as Ukraine was a friendly country with Russia and had a
president who was... is supporting Russian policy and is closer to the
Russian... to Russia. Russia was tolerant in regard of this area in regard of
Crimea and in fact it was at the very beginning a Russian territory and it
was presented by Cru chef to Ukraine when all these countries were part
of the Soviet Union, so certainly, I mean Russia has sent troops and I do
not think that they will let go of this Crime territory; however, I also, do not
Mayar Maged Magda Shaheen Interview

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believe that it will be escalated to having a war in region because of this
dispute or because of this conflict and well see as I said in the very
beginning the referendum might be a solution trying to find an international
solution for this for.. Crimea to have a cozy independent country or
something like that I do not know how far this can get to; however, I hardly
believe that Russia will let go.
Maged: Thank you very much.