"Ukraine Must Be Returned to Russia" - by Vladimir Putin

[dalton99a]

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181

President of Russia

Article by Vladimir Putin
"On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians"
July 12, 2021

...

The name ”Ukraine“ was used more often in the meaning of the Old Russian word ”okraina“ (periphery), which is found in written sources from the 12th century, referring to various border territories. And the word ”Ukrainian“, judging by archival documents, originally referred to frontier guards who protected the external borders.

For those who have today given up the full control of Ukraine to external forces, it would be instructive to remember that, back in 1918, such a decision proved fatal for the ruling regime in Kiev. With the direct involvement of the occupying forces, the Central Rada was overthrown and Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi was brought to power, proclaiming instead of the UPR the Ukrainian State, which was essentially under German protectorate. ...

The Bolsheviks treated the Russian people as inexhaustible material for their social experiments. They dreamt of a world revolution that would wipe out national states. That is why they were so generous in drawing borders and bestowing territorial gifts. It is no longer important what exactly the idea of the Bolshevik leaders who were chopping the country into pieces was. We can disagree about minor details, background and logics behind certain decisions. One fact is crystal clear: Russia was robbed, indeed.

When the USSR collapsed, many people in Russia and Ukraine sincerely believed and assumed that our close cultural, spiritual and economic ties would certainly last, as would the commonality of our people, who had always had a sense of unity at their core. However, events – at first gradually, and then more rapidly – started to move in a different direction.

Apparently, and I am becoming more and more convinced of this: Kiev simply does not need Donbas. Why? Because, firstly, the inhabitants of these regions will never accept the order that they have tried and are trying to impose by force, blockade and threats. And secondly, the outcome of both Minsk‑1 and Minsk‑2 which give a real chance to peacefully restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine by coming to an agreement directly with the DPR and LPR with Russia, Germany and France as mediators, contradicts the entire logic of the anti-Russia project. And it can only be sustained by the constant cultivation of the image of an internal and external enemy. And I would add – under the protection and control of the Western powers.

All the subterfuges associated with the anti-Russia project are clear to us. And we will never allow our historical territories and people close to us living there to be used against Russia. And to those who will undertake such an attempt, I would like to say that this way they will destroy their own country.

I am confident that true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia. Our spiritual, human and civilizational ties formed for centuries and have their origins in the same sources, they have been hardened by common trials, achievements and victories. Our kinship has been transmitted from generation to generation. It is in the hearts and the memory of people living in modern Russia and Ukraine, in the blood ties that unite millions of our families. Together we have always been and will be many times stronger and more successful. For we are one people.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Walleye]

1. Next he will try to take Alaska back. There's still plenty of Russians living there

And what’s to stop the right wingers up there from siding with Putin?

[mopinko]

11. maybe he'll take brighton beach, too.

and yeah, a lot of alaskans might just jump on that train.

[electric_blue68]

16. 😄 Heh. Been there.

[radius777]

2. Who cares what their ancestral ethnicity is or what language

they speak. There are all types of of intertwined histories countries have. Most modern day Ukrainians view themselves as Ukrainian, with a distinct identity and culture apart from Russia.

Anyone who thinks Putin cares about 'protecting ethnic Russians' or 'is afraid of NATO' or other such issues is deluded. He will accept nothing less than Ukraine cleansing itself of Western influences and becoming a puppet state of Russia. And note his opinion has shifted around on this, as in 2002 he stated that Ukraine was a free country and could join NATO if it so chose.

[dalton99a]

3. +1. Every country has a significant contingent of people from neighboring countries

[Solly Mack]

4. ...

I am confident that true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia

They can only be free as part of Russia. "True sovereignty" means being Russian. Ukraine can be as free as I say it is.

[2naSalit]

6. Sounds like...

A controlling, abusive ex-spouse.

[Solly Mack]

8. It does.

[mopinko]

12. that bit of double speak stuck out to me too.

that's some crazy mental contortions.

[Solly Mack]

14. Crazy, but lethal.

[electric_blue68]

17. Heh. Riiiiiiight.

[Captain Zero]

5. If ethnic Russians in Ukraine don't like it, then

Putin should have a plan to welcome them back to Mother Russia. Send them Two Men and a Truck and let them move back. Easy.

[2naSalit]

7. +1

[EndlessWire]

15. LOL! n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Okay then, let's go back to colonial times. Return the USA to Britain.

[DFW]

10. Putin must think he's Metternich

So, by his logic, western Finland needs to be given to Sweden, eastern Belgium needs to be given to Germany, Transylvania needs to be given to Hungary, southeastern Bulgaria needs to be divided up between Greece and Turkey.

"I am confident that true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia."

I am confident that Putin's imperial designs on the Ukraine can only be possibly realized if a significant majority of the Ukrainians speak out in favor ot it. Seeing as how a significant majority of the Ukrainians are now arming themselves, pleading with all other nations to supply them with additional arms to fight a Russian invasion, I'd say the only thing of which Putin can be confident is that most Ukrainians do not want what he wants.

[thucythucy]

13. Let's take this one step further:

Seems to me quite a large amount of "Russia" is actually populated by non-Russians.

I say those areas with less than 50% Russian population should either declare independence or be ceded to other nations sharing their ethnicity.

The 50% figure is still far higher than those areas of Ukraine Putin is claiming--which according to the posted map is in no case higher than 40%, which the exception of Crimea.

Just a thought.