https://youtu.be/fOCWBhuDdDo?si=_GCQ0TuhbdI8Q5Vj
Putin's historical account in the interview gives us a detailed narrative on the history of Russia and Ukraine, emphasising the deep-rooted connections as well as the conflicts over the centuries. Here is a summarised chronological account based on the dates he mentioned:
1. **862**: The establishment of Russian statehood is considered to start with the invitation of the Varangian prince Rurik to rule, marking the beginning of centralised Russian statehood.
2. **882**: Prince Oleg, Rurik’s successor, captures Kiev, integrating it and other territories into the state, signaling the development of a unified Russian state with two power centres: Kiev and Novgorod.
3. **988**: The baptism of Russia under Prince Vladimir the Great, adopting the Christian Orthodox religion, significantly strengthens the centralised Russian state due to its unification under one single faith.
4. **13th Century**: The fragmentation of Russian statehood occurs, leading to vulnerability and eventual subjugation by the Mongol Empire under Batu Khan. This period sees the southern Russian cities, including Kiev, losing independence.
5. **1654**: The Treaty of Pereyaslav, where parts of Ukraine under Polish control sought the protection of Moscow, leading to a war with Poland and the eventual integration of these lands into the Russian state.
6. **18th Century**: Under Catherine the Great, Russia expands, reclaiming historical lands, including parts of modern Ukraine.
7. **1917**: Post-Revolution, the Bolsheviks aim to restore Russian statehood, resulting in civil war and conflicts with Poland. The Soviet Union is established, including Ukraine as one of its republics, with territories added that had never been part of historical Ukraine.
8. **1922**: The USSR formation includes Ukraine as a constituent republic with significant territorial gifts from Russia, which had never historically been Ukrainian.
9. **World War II**: The collaboration of some Ukrainian nationalists with Nazi Germany and the subsequent re-integration of western Ukrainian territories into the Soviet Union post-war.
10. **1991**: The dissolution of the USSR and Ukraine's declaration of independence, where Ukraine was recognised within its Soviet-era borders, including territories gifted during the Soviet period.
[No explicit mention, still less explanation of, Kruschev's giving the former Khanate of Crimea to Ukraine.]
Putin emphasises the long history of shared culture, religion, and governance between Russia and Ukraine, viewing modern Ukraine as a product of historical processes influenced significantly by Soviet policies and external pressures. He argues that the contemporary conflict stems from these deep historical roots and the recent geopolitical maneuvers, particularly NATO's eastward expansion due to, in his view, America's fear of Russia, a super-size state with a large population and self-sufficient in resources.
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