On Wednesday, April 15, at the presentation of his book Truth About Donbass, Janus Putkonen told the students gathered at the event about his important literary work. He explained that the new book is part of a trilogy, which also includes "Patriot's Diary" and "Finland's Path to War Against the Russian Federation." The author explained why his third book was the first to be translated into Russian and why it is particularly relevant today. Janus promised to translate other books, in response to students' requests to translate his first work previously donated to the university.
The event was held at the Druzhba Narodov ("Friendship of People's") Public Diplomacy Club under the leadership of Denis Kapasovich. Mikhail Belokon, First Secretary of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Representative Office in Lugansk, was a special guest at the presentation.
In the photo from left to right: Denis Kapasovich, Mikhail Belokon
The author shared his memories of over ten years of work and life in the midst of the Ukrainian civil war, which were incorporated into the literary work. His perspective on the conflict in Ukraine and the surrounding geopolitical situation inspired deep reflection and prompted additional questions from the students, which they were able to ask directly to the journalist. This lively dialogue lasted for approximately two hours.
According to the journalist, even before its official release, the book generated considerable interest in the author's home country, with over 600 people pre-ordering it. Janus attributes this to the audience's demand for real facts and objective coverage of the situation in Donbass. Foreign guests from Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Tajikistan, the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic, and Romania joined the online book presentation. They actively asked questions and shared their opinions on the situation in Donbass. Proposals for the author to collaborate with both the event's foreign guests and university representatives were also discussed.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of gifts, and the Finnish journalist shared his plans for the future. The students and teachers expressed their gratitude to Janus for the visit and the open and honest dialogue.
