In an interview, historian Serhii Plokhy explains why Putin is aiming for the annihilation of the Ukrainian nation, from which Ukrainians got their fearlessness, and why, in his opinion, the idea of Greater Russia is doomed to fail.
Ever since the war started, there has been a debate about why Putin started the war. Some say the Kremlin is primarily concerned with geopolitics and security. Others see Putin’s attack as ideologically motivated. What do you think?
Serhii Ploky: There are no single-cause events in history, especially in an event of the magnitude of today’s war. Geopolitics, post-imperial nation building and ideology meet here.
in what way?
Russia is not ready to give up its former territories. I don’t think Putin wants to recreate the Soviet Union in its old form. But he wants to control that space in a new way – as a sphere of influence. In the process, for the first time in centuries, Russia must learn to live alone, without the empire. Where Russia begins and ends is an open question. Putin subscribed to an outdated 19th century imperial idea that there is a great Russian nation that includes Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians.
He keeps repeating that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. So there is geopolitics at play or attempts to secure a sphere of influence on the one hand and outdated imperial thinking about Russian identity on the other. This explains the reasons for the war as well as the expectations: Ukrainians were thought to greet Russians with flowers. In doing so, they surprised the Russians – and the world – with their resilience.