Vladimir Putin may be a lot of things, but a historian is not one of them.
Back in July 2021, Putin infamously published a 7,000-word article “On the Historical Unity of Russia and Ukraine” that was reportedly sent to every soldier in the Russian armed forces.
Among Putin’s claims were that Ukraine “is entirely the brainchild of the Soviet era, and was to a large extent created at the expense of historical Russian lands.”
Putin also argued that contemporary Ukraine is little more than a Western project designed solely to undermine Russia, and likened Ukraine’s post-Soviet nation-building efforts to weapons of mass destruction. The Kremlin leader also argued that: “True Ukrainian sovereignty is only possible in partnership with Russia. After all, we are one people.”
All of these things, of course, are demonstrably wrong. But they are also widely believed by most Russians and — until recently — by many in the West.
So how has this false historical narrative contributed to Russia’s war against Ukraine? And how has the war, and Ukraine’s spirited defense of itself, worked to change it?
On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Marta Dzczok, a an Associate Professor of History and Political Science at the University of Western Ontario, and Jeff Mankoff, a Distinguished Research Fellow at the National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies and author of the recently published book Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security. (Jeff Mankoff’s views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the NDU or the U.S. Department of Defense.)
SHOW NOTES
The audio clip opening the podcast came from a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on December 1, 2022.
The translation is as follows:
“Ukrainians will never again be gears of some empires. We have already gained it and we will ensure the full independence of our state. We will ensure, in particular, spiritual independence. We will never allow anyone to build an empire inside the Ukrainian soul.”
The audio clip opening the second segment of the podcast came from a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on November 14, 2022.
The translation is as follows:
“It is obvious to everyone what Ukraine is, what the presence of our flag is. When there is a Ukrainian flag, there is civilization, there is freedom. There is social security. There is infrastructure. There is security. There is someone to take care of people. There are all the things that disappear and that are destroyed when the occupier comes.”
The online course by Timothy Snyder, The Making of Modern Ukraine, which was referenced in the podcast can be accessed here.
Jeff Mankoff’s book, The Empires of Eurasia, can be purchased here.
Marta Dyczok’s scholarly work can be accessed here.