“Russians and Ukrainians are one people, one whole”; there Russia “Never was and never will be antiUkraine and what Ukraine will be is in the hands of its citizens. They are respectively the first and last lines of a long article that Wladimir Putin published on July 12, 2021. Theory, propagandistic reflexes and the historical attempt to justify a mistake that would have taken place less than a year later. Putin essentially based the text on the traditional rights that Russia has over Ukraine and Belarus, and in this perspective he went on the “triune people“Consisting of Greater Russians (the Russians), Little Russians (the Ukrainians) and the Belarusians, who advocate a return to an empire halfway between the Tsarist and the Stalinist. He dabbled in these subjects without limits, eventually turning to aspects such as those of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and 17thcentury Orthodox Christianity. Finally NATO. Everything is there, everything was already there. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk harshly called him the “my fight“ of the tsar.
The item
“During the last hotline, when I was asked about RussianUkrainian relations, I said that Russians and Ukrainians are one people one whole. These words were not dictated by shortterm considerations or the current political context. I have said this on numerous occasions and I firmly believe it. I therefore feel the need to explain my point of view in detail and present my views on the current situation. First of all, I want to emphasize that the wall that has appeared in recent years between Russia and Ukraine, between the parts of essentially the same historical and spiritual space, is, in my opinion, our great common misfortune and our great tragedy read in the first paragraph of the text.
“Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians are all descendants of ancient Rus, the largest state in Europe. The Slavic tribes and other tribes throughout the vast territory from Ladoga, Novgorod and Pskov to Kyiv and Chernihiv were interconnected by a language (which we now call Old Russian), economic ties, the rule of the princes of the Rurik dynasty and after of the baptism of Rus’ from the orthodox belief. The spiritual choice of St. Vladimir, who was both Prince of Novgorod and Grand Duke of Kyiv, still largely defines our affiliation today ».
The Empire
Putin always uses the term Russian Empire, adding that after the collapse of the PolishLithuanian state, Russia recaptured the western part of its old provinces. And here begins a long accusation against Poland for using Ukraine to obtain all economic resources, forgetting what he himself wrote about joining Catholicism in this part of Europe. Then he accuses the Polish elite of having separated Ukraine from Russia. Basically, Ukraine would have no identity, since the Catholic one would have been the result of oppression and coercion. «The name ‘Ukraine’ was most often used in the meaning of the Old Russian word ‘okraina’ (periphery), found in written sources from the 12th century, referring to various border areas. And the word “Ukrainian”, judging by the archival documents, originally referred to the border guards who protected the external borders ».
“Modern” Russia
It follows the history of the USSR, the various turmoil and difficult relations with the West. So here is the last paragraph, prodrome, more than the other passages, from a turning point in relations with Ukraine. «I am convinced that true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in cooperation with Russia. Our spiritual, human, and civilized bonds have been formed for centuries, springing from the same sources, cemented by shared trials, achievements, and victories. Our kinship has been passed down from generation to generation. It is in the hearts and memories of the people living in modern Russia and Ukraine, in the blood ties that unite millions of our families. Together we were and always are many times stronger and more successful. Because we are one people. Today, those words may be met with hostility by some people. They can be interpreted in many possible ways. Nevertheless, many people will listen to me. And I will say one thing: Russia has never been “against Ukraine and never will be. And what Ukraine will be, its citizens must decide».
by Alessandro Strabioli
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