"Yura was right — he was facing enemy": Savik Shuster publicly admitted his mistake regarding fight between Butusov and Shufrych. VIDEO
Four years after the controversial broadcast, well-known TV presenter Savik Shuster has revised his opinion of the actions of Yurii Butusov, editor-in-chief of Censor.NET. In an interview with Gordon magazine, Shuster admitted that the journalist's emotional reaction at the time was not just a fight, but a premonition of a major war and recognition of the enemy.
This refers to the events of 18 February 2022, six days before the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, when Butusov beat up then-People's Deputy Nestor Shufrych from the Opposition Platform — For Life party on the live talk show "Savik Shuster's Freedom of Speech" after Shufrych made anti-Ukrainian statements.
Why Shuster changed his mind:
Savik Shuster noted that back in February 2022, he criticised Butusov for violating live broadcast ethics. However, today, analysing the events from the distance of four years of war, he admits that professional standards in peacetime proved powerless in the face of the threat of existential destruction.
"I have to admit that Yura was right, because he was right. That day was no longer a truly peaceful day. Yura felt — not surely, but definitely — that he was facing an enemy. An enemy that he would have to stand up to and defeat," Shuster said.
Butusov as a "positive surprise"
The presenter emphasised that among the many people he worked with in Ukraine, it was Yurii Butusov who pleasantly surprised him with his resilience and integrity. Shuster stressed that during the years of war, the journalist went through "tears, sweat and blood," proving his point not only with words.
Context of the event:
In addition to Butusov and Shufrych, Petro Poroshenko, Andrii Biletskyi and other top politicians participated in the programme. The fight began after Shufrych refused to call Putin a murderer and justified the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation. Subsequently, in 2023, Nestor Shufrych was officially charged with high treason.
