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Line 28: − + − In his interview with [[Tucker Carlson]] on February 8, 2024, Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] explained the origins of the Ukrainian state with the following statements.<ref>https://theduran.com/full-transcript-the-interview-of-president-putin-with-tucker-carlson-video/</ref>+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − + + − The Russian state started to exist as a centralized state in 862. This is considered to be the year of creation of the Russian state because this year the townspeople of Novgorod (a city in the North-West of the country) invited Rurik, a Varangian prince from Scandinavia, to reign. In 1862, Russia celebrated the 1000th anniversary of its statehood, and in Novgorod there is a memorial dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the country.<ref>[[Sefdom]] was abolished in the [[Russian Empire]] with the Emancipation of Serfdom edict in 1862 to commemorate the founding of the Russian state, one year in advance of [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s [[Emancipation Proclamation]]. Many historians speculate and claim that Lincoln was inspired and motivated to free [[African American]] [[slave]]s by the Czar's actions a year earlier.<br>[[Solzhenitsyn]] citing the 1862 Emancipation edict was a central theme in his struggle against the Soviet authority, which eventually ended in the Soviet power's demise.<br>*[https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/26/archives/solzhenitsyn-i-am-not-a-serf.html Solzhenitsyn: I Am Not a Serf’], ''[[New York Times]]'', August 26, 1973.<br>*[https://www.nytimes.com/1974/04/06/archives/solzhenitsyn-says-soviet-is-serfdom.html SOLZHENITSYN SAYS SOVIET IS ‘SERFDOM’], ''New York Times'', April 6, 1974.</ref>+ − + − + − Back in the Middle Ages, Prince Yaroslav the Wise introduced the order of succession to the throne, but after he passed away, it became complicated for various reasons. The throne was passed not directly from father to eldest son, but from the prince who had passed away to his brother,<ref>In the 20th and 21st centuries, a similar situation developed in the [[House of Saud]], which has been the ruling family of the [[Saudi]] state since 1925. Passing the crown sideways instead of in a linear fashion under the laws of [[primogeniture]] can create numerous claimants or "rightful heirs" to the throne.</ref> then to his sons in different lines. All this led to the fragmentation and the [[Kievan_Rus%27#Decline_of_Rus.27|end of Rus’ as a single state]]. There was nothing special about it, the same was happening then in Europe. But the fragmented Russian state became an easy prey to the empire created earlier by [[Genghis Khan]]. His successors, namely, Batu Khan, came to Rus’, plundered and ruined nearly all the cities. The southern part, including Kiev, by the way, and some other cities, simply lost independence, while northern cities preserved some of their sovereignty. They had to pay tribute to the Horde, but they managed to preserve some part of their sovereignty. And then a unified Russian state began to take shape with its centre in Moscow.<ref>In the 13th century the leadership of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] was transferred from Kiev to Moscow due to the [[Mongol invasion]] and became known as the [[Moscow Patriarchate]].</ref> + − The southern part of the Russian lands, including Kiev, began to gradually gravitate towards another ”magnet“ – the centre that was emerging in Europe. This was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was even called the Lithuanian-Russian Duchy, because Russians were a significant part of its population. They spoke the Old Russian language and were Orthodox. But then there was a unification, the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. A few years later, another union was signed, but this time already in the religious sphere. Some of the Orthodox priests became subordinate to the Pope. Thus, these lands became part of the [[Polish-Lithuanian state]].+ − During decades, the Poles were engaged in the ”Polonization“ of this part of the population: they introduced their language there, tried to entrench the idea that this population was not exactly Russians, that because they lived on the fringe (''u kraya'') they were “Ukrainians”. Originally, the word ‘Ukrainian’ meant that a person was living on the outskirts of the state, near the fringe, or was engaged in border service. It didn’t mean any particular ethnic group.+ − [[File:Nazi propaganda from US Embassy Kyiv.jpg|right|500px|thumb|[[Historical revisionism]], [[Russophobia]], and racist [[Nazi]] [[propaganda]] tweeted by the US Embassy in Kyiv, February 22, 2022, two days before the start of the [[special military operation]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKyiv/status/1496115593149358081 U.S. Embassy Kyiv @USEmbassyKyiv], 6:32 AM · Feb 22, 2022. twitter.com/USEmbassyKyiv</ref>]] − So, the Poles were trying in every possible way to polonize this part of the Russian lands and actually treated it rather harshly, not to say cruelly. All that led to the fact that this part of the Russian lands began to struggle for their rights. They wrote letters to Warsaw demanding that their rights be observed and that people be commissioned here, including to Kiev… − '''Tucker Carlson:''' I beg your pardon, can you tell us what period… I am losing track of where in history we are?+ − '''Vladimir Putin:''' It was in the 13th century.+ − Now I will tell what happened later and give the dates so that there is no confusion. And in 1654, even a bit earlier, the people who were in control of the authority over that part of the Russian lands, addressed Warsaw, I repeat, demanding their rights be observed that they send to them rulers of Russian origin and Orthodox faith. When Warsaw did not answer them and in fact rejected their demands, they turned to Moscow so that Moscow took them away.+ − So that you don’t think that I am inventing things… I’ll give you these documents…<ref>The documents from [[Kremlin]] archives include a letter from Bogdan Khmelnitsky to Czar Aleksey Mikhailovich requesting protection for Orthodox Christians residing in the borderlands (''u kraya'') for protection from violence and discrimination in civil life from [[Roman Catholic]] Poland under the suzerainty of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Some 117 Ukrainian towns and 127,000 people swore an oath of loyalty to the Czar who added "All Great and Little Russia autocrat" to his title. "Little Russia", or Malorussia, was the name used by the Russian minority living in territories claimed by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth who, 3 centuries later, called themselves "Ukrainian".</ref>+ − '''Tucker Carlson:''' It doesn’t sound like you are inventing it, but I am not sure why it’s relevant to what’s happened two years ago.+ − + − Russia would not agree to admit them straight away, assuming that the war with Poland would start. Nevertheless, in 1654, the Pan-Russian Assembly of top Clergy and Landowners headed by the Tsar (Zemsky Sobor), which was the representative body of power of the Old Russian state, decided to include a part of the Old Russian lands into the Moscow Kingdom.+ − As expected, the war with Poland began. It lasted 13 years, and then in 1654, a truce was concluded. And 32 years later, I think, a peace treaty with Poland, which they called ”eternal peace,“ was signed. And these lands, the whole left bank of the [[Dnieper]], including Kiev, went to Russia, and the whole right bank of the Dnieper remained in Poland.+ − Under the rule of Catherine the Great, Russia reclaimed all of its historical lands, including in the south and west. This all lasted until the Revolution. Before World War I, Austrian General Staff relied on the ideas of Ukrainianization and started actively promoting the ideas of Ukraine and the Ukrainianization. Their motive was obvious. Just before World War I they wanted to weaken the potential enemy and secure themselves favourable conditions in the border area. So the idea which had emerged in Poland that people residing in that territory were allegedly not really Russians, but rather belonged to a special ethnic group, Ukrainians, started being propagated by the Austrian General Staff.+ − As far back as the 19th century, theorists calling for Ukrainian independence appeared. All those, however, claimed that Ukraine should have a very good relationship with Russia. They insisted on that. After the 1917 Revolution, the Bolsheviks sought to restore the statehood, and the Civil War began, including the hostilities with Poland. In 1921, peace with Poland was proclaimed, and under that treaty, the right bank of the Dnieper River once again was given back to Poland.+ − In 1939, after Poland cooperated with Hitler — it did collaborate with Hitler, you know —Hitler offered Poland peace and a treaty of friendship and alliance (we have all the relevant documents in the archives), demanding in return that Poland give back to Germany the so-called Danzig Corridor, which connected the bulk of Germany with [[East Prussia]] and [[Konigsberg]]. After World War I this territory was transferred to Poland, and instead of Danzig, a city of Gdansk emerged. Hitler asked them to give it amicably, but they refused.+ + Line 86:
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Undo revision 2092311 by RobSmith (talk) Why??
[[File:Slav warrior from Solntsev book.jpg|thumbnail|Slav warrior from Solntsev book.]]
[[File:Annexations to the territory of Ukraine.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Annexations to the territory of Ukraine]]
[[File:Annexations to the territory of Ukraine.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Annexations to the territory of Ukraine]]
The '''History of Ukraine''' begins in the mid to late 19th century to the present day.
The '''History of Ukraine''' covers periods of history from the [[Kievan Rus']] with important developments on the 19th century, and to the present day.
The name "[[Ukraine]]" is debated being of [[Polish]] origin (Pol. ''u kraya'') literally meaning "at the side" or "borderland" or derived from Ukraina in the sense of "region, principality or country". Many medieval occurrences of the word can be interpreted as having that meaning. In this sense, the word can be associated with contemporary Ukrainian krajina, Belarusian kraina and Russian and Polish kraj, all meaning "country" (see Translations, "region of land").<ref>[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14124601]</ref>
The name "[[Ukraine]]" is debated being of [[Polish]] origin (Pol. ''u kraya'') literally meaning "at the side" or "borderland" or derived from Ukraina in the sense of "region, principality or country". Many medieval occurrences of the word can be interpreted as having that meaning. In this sense, the word can be associated with contemporary Ukrainian krajina, Belarusian kraina and Russian and Polish kraj, all meaning "country" (see Translations, "region of land").<ref>[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14124601]</ref>
A Counter Terrorism Policing official told BBC News after the controversy of the inclusion of the symbol: "We regret any offence caused, unfortunately, far-right groups have a history of misappropriating national symbols as part of their identity and this is the reason why some national flags and symbols appear in our document".
A Counter Terrorism Policing official told BBC News after the controversy of the inclusion of the symbol: "We regret any offence caused, unfortunately, far-right groups have a history of misappropriating national symbols as part of their identity and this is the reason why some national flags and symbols appear in our document".
==Vladimir Putin point of view about the origin of the Ukrainian state explained to Tucker Carlson==
== Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ==
{{Main article|Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church}}
[[File:St. George's Cathedral, Lviv, Ukraine.jpg|thumb|St. George's Cathedral in [[Lviv]] city, Ukraine, property of the [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]], historically persecuted by Russian and Soviet KGB authorities,<ref name=PopeFrancis>{{cite web|url=https://www.breitbart.com/news/pope-beatifies-seven-communist-era-bishops-in-romania/|title=Pope beatifies seven Communist-era bishops in Romania|date=2 June 2019|publisher=[[Breitbart]]}}</ref><ref name=Manipulation>{{cite web|url=https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/01/11/kgb-christians-putin-stalin-kgbs-history-manipulating-orthodox-church/|title=KGB ‘Christians’: Putin, Stalin, and the KGB’s History of Manipulating the Orthodox Church|date=11 January 2016|publisher=[[Breitbart]]}}</ref> was restored in 1990 with the independence of the country.]]
[[File:Interior of St. George's Cathedral in Lviv, Ukraine.jpg|thumb|left|Interior of St. George's Cathedral in [[Lviv]].]]
The final step in the particularity of the Greek Catholic Church was the development of the [[Ukrainian language]] from the language of [[Kievan Rus]] between 1600 and 1800, a language that distinguished itself from Belarusian and Ruthenian.
During the 16th century, Ukrainian bishops decided to seek official support and protection from Rome. As Russian Orthodox propaganda infiltrated Ukraine, Polish Latinism was also gaining ground, and new sects were emerging, increasing the number of Protestants.
This desire was achieved in 1596, when with the support of the [[King of Poland]], [[Sigismund III Vasa]], the entire Ukrainian ecclesiastical hierarchy concluded the union with Rome, proclaiming the "official communion" between Kyiv and Rome at the [[Union of Brest]].
In the 18th century, most of Ukraine came under the rule of the [[Russian Empire|Tsars of Moscow]], who began a systematic persecution of Ukrainian Catholic Christianity. Only the western part of Ukraine, with [[Lviv]] as its capital, which remained under [[Austria]] and later [[Poland]], was able to preserve ecclesiastical communion with Rome. This Church thrived under the charismatic leadership of Metropolitan [[Andrey Sheptytsky]], who served as [[Archbishop of Lviv]] from 1900 to 1944.
As Orthodox Russia expanded its control over Ukraine, the union was gradually suppressed. In 1839, [[Tsar]] [[Nicholas I of Russia]] abolished the union across Russian territories. By the late [[19th century]], Greek Catholics had almost disappeared.
With the start of [[World War II]], most of [[Galicia]] was annexed by the [[Soviet Union]]. The new communist administration acted decisively to eradicate the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: in April [[1945]], all its bishops were arrested and sentenced to forced labor. Regime officials detained seven Greco-Catholic bishops in Romania overnight on October 28, 1948, accusing them of "high treason" after they refused to convert to "Orthodoxy".<ref name=PopeFrancis/> The Metropolitan [[Josyf Slipyi]], head of the Church, was sent to prison in [[Siberia]]. He was not released until 1963, after which he was exiled to Rome. In the same year, he was given the title of ''Major Archbishop of the Ukrainians in Lviv'', and in 1965 he was made a cardinal. He died in 1984.
In 1989, towards the end of communism, Ukrainian Greek Catholics were granted the right to register with the Government of Ukraine. With the support of local authorities, Ukrainian Catholics gradually reclaimed their old parishes. This marked the beginning of a strong resurgence of Catholicism in the region.
In 1991, Cardinal [[Miroslav Ivan Lubachivsky]], the exiled head of the Ukrainian Church, was allowed to leave Rome and reside in Lviv. In 1992, Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops from around the world convened for a synod in the city for the first time in several decades. In the same year, the remains of Cardinal Josyf Slipyi were transferred from Rome to Lviv, where they were buried next to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. In July 1993, four new dioceses were created.
{{cquote|Only two weeks before the San Francisco conference, on 11 April 1945, a detachment of NKVD troops surrounded the St. George Cathedral in Lviv and arrested Metropolitan Slipyj, two bishops, two prelates and several priests. All the students in the city’s theological seminary were driven from the school, while their professors were told that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church had ceased to exist, that its Metropolitan was arrested and his place was to be taken by a Soviet-appointed bishop. These acts were repeated all over Western Ukraine and across the Curzon Line in Poland. At least seven bishops were arrested or were never heard from again. There is no Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church still free in the area. Five hundred clergy who met to protest the action of the Soviets, were shot or arrested.<ref name=Manipulation/>}}
[[File:The Faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Demand the Legalization of the Church. Moscow, 1989.jpg|thumbnail|The Faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Demand the Legalization of the Church. Moscow, 1989.]]
[[File:People Demand Freedom of Religion. Lviv, September 17, 1989.jpg|thumbnail|left|People Demand Freedom of Religion. Lviv, September 17, 1989.]]
In the late 1980s, there was a change in the Soviet government's attitude towards religion. In December 1989, as the fall of [[communism]] was approaching, Ukrainian Greek Catholics were granted the right to register with the government and were allowed to function once again. Nearly all of their parishes prior to 1946 and their properties were in the hands of the Orthodox Church. Supported by Ukrainian nationalist groups, the Greek Catholic Church took a firm stance on the return of its lost properties and parishes, even in cases where there were almost no Catholic faithful left. With the support of local authorities, Ukrainian Catholics gradually reclaimed their former parishes. Most of the parishes in Galicia came under Greek Catholic control during the events of a large-scale interconfessional rivalry that was often accompanied by violent clashes. All of this was the prelude to a strong revival of Catholicism in the region. These tensions led to a rupture in relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Holy See.
Since the exile of Slipyj in 1963, the Archdiocese of Lviv was administered by the ''locum tenens'' [[Vasyl Velyckovskyj]] until his exile to [[Canada]] in 1972, and then by [[Volodymyr Sterniuk]] until 1991 when Cardinal [[Myroslav Iván Lubachivsky]], the exiled primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church since 1984, was authorized to leave Rome and take up residence in Lviv. On January 16, 1991, the surviving clandestine bishops were confirmed by the pope. In 1992, Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops from around the world were summoned to a synod in the same city for the first time in several decades, and that same year, the remains of Cardinal Josyf Slipyj were transferred from Rome to Lviv, where they were buried next to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. The synod took place between May 16 and 31, 1992, and decided on the creation of four new eparchies in Ukraine: Sambir-Drohobych, Ternopil, Zboriv (all separated from the major archdiocese of Lviv), and Kolomyia-Chernivtsi (separated from Ivano-Frankivsk), which were established on April 20, 1993. The territories of the rest of Ukraine were established as the Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Kiev–Vyshhorod on November 25, 1995.
'''Vladimir Putin:''' Let’s look where our relationship with Ukraine started from. Where does Ukraine come from?
[[File:St Josaphat Saint of Ruthenia.jpg|thumbnail|Saint Josaphat, Saint of Ruthenia, (1580-1623)]]
After the restoration of this Church in Ukraine, the synod of bishops began to meet regularly. The first general [[council]] of Ukrainian Greek Catholics was held in Lviv in October 1996. Due to Cardinal Lubachivsky's poor health, [[Lubomyr Husar]] was appointed ''Administrator of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church''. In August 2000, a new synod held in Buchach decided on the creation of two new eparchies in Ukraine: Stryi and Sokal, while reorganizing the eparchies of Ternopil and Zboriv into the new eparchies of Ternopil-Zboriv and Buchach. Since 2000, the Church's territory was expanded to all of Ukraine, except for the situation of the Mukachevo eparchy. On December 14, 2000, Cardinal Lubachivsky passed away and was succeeded by Lubomyr Husar, who was later created a cardinal.
In June 2001, [[Pope John Paul II]] made an [[Apostolic Journey]] to Ukraine at the invitation of the president and the Greek Catholic and Latin bishops. The main sites of the visit were Kyiv, the national capital, and Lviv. During his visit to Ukraine on June 27, 2001, the pope beatified 27 martyrs and 3 [[Servant of God|Servants of God]] and blessed the new [[Catholic University of Ukraine]].
In 882, Rurik’s successor Prince Oleg, who was, actually, playing the role of regent at Rurik’s young son because Rurik had died by that time, came to Kiev. He ousted two brothers who, apparently, had once been members of Rurik’s squad. So, Russia began to develop with two centers of power, Kiev and Novgorod.
In 2004, the seat of the Major Archbishop was moved back to Kyiv by Pope [[Benedict XVI]]. On March 27, 2011, [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]] became the new primate.
The next, very significant date in the history of Russia, was 988. This was the Baptism of Russia,<ref>"Baptism of Russia" refers to the [[Christianity|Christianization]] of Russia, largely through the efforts of [[St. Cyril]] and [[Methodius]] who translated the [[Bible]] into Russian and invented the Russian, or "Cyrillic" alphabet, giving the Russian people and culture a written language.</ref> when Prince Vladimir, the great-grandson of Rurik, baptized Russia and adopted [[Orthodox Church|Orthodoxy]], or [[Eastern Rite|Eastern Christianity]]. From this time the centralized Russian state began to strengthen. Why? Because of a single territory, integrated economic ties, one and the same language and, after the Baptism of Russia, the same faith and rule of the Prince.<ref>''Cuius regio, eius religio'' (''In the Prince's land, the Prince's religion'') is the cornerstone of the [[Treaty of Westphalia]] and the notion of national or state sovereignty.</ref> The centralized Russian state began to take shape.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church embarked on a campaign of liturgical reforms of de-Latinization, which included the removal of [[stations of the cross]], the [[Rosary (Catholicism)|rosary]], and the [[Monstrance (liturgical)|monstrance]] from its liturgy and parishes. This led in 2000 to Father Vasyl Kovpak and a small group of followers opposed to the reforms and ecumenism to organize the [[Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat]], linked to the [[Society of Saint Pius X]]. On November 21, 2007, the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] excommunicated Kovpak.<ref>Catholic World News, November 21, 2007. [http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=54919 Ukrainian priest excommunicated]</ref> In 2008, a group of anti-reform priests from the Basilian monastery in Pidhirtsi declared that four of them had been consecrated as bishops without the pope's or Major Archbishop's permission. They were excommunicated in 2008, and in 2009, they formed the [[Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Orthodox Church]].
According to the ''[[Pontifical Yearbook]]'' 2016, by the end of 2015, in the 33 jurisdictions of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, there were: 42 bishops, 3,826 [[parish (religion)|parishes]], 2,973 secular priests, 432 religious priests, 843 religious, 1,371 religious women, 126 permanent [[deacon]]s, and 731 seminarians.<ref name="cnewa_1">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat16.pdf|title=Source: The Eastern Catholic Churches (CNEWA)|accessdate=February 18, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020094357/http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/roberson-Eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat16.pdf|archivedate=October 20, 2016}}</ref>
Currently, this Church has 3,240 parochial communities, 78 monasteries, 755 Sunday schools, 12 educational institutions, 2,721 churches (with 306 more under construction), 16 bishops, 1,976 priests, 590 monks, 729 nuns, and 1,298 seminarians.
{{cquote|Pope Francis on Sunday beatified seven Greco-Catholic bishops jailed and tortured during the Communist era on the final day of his visit to Romania.
“The new blessed ones suffered and sacrificed their lives, opposing a system of totalitarian and coercive ideology,” the pontiff told some 60,000 worshippers attending mass on a “Field of Liberty” in the small central town of Blaj.
“These shepherds, martyrs of faith, garnered for and left the Romanian people a precious heritage which we can sum up in two words: freedom and mercy,” added Francis, while praising the “diversity of religious expression” in mainly Orthodox Romania.
Regime officials detained the beatified bishops overnight on October 28, 1948, accusing them of “high treason” after they refused to convert to Orthodoxy.
The Greek-Catholic Church was outlawed under 1948-89 Communist rule.
– Buried in secret –<ref name=PopeFrancis/>}}
'''Vladimir Putin:''' But still, these are documents from the archives, copies. Here are letters from [[Bogdan Khmelnitsky]], the man who then controlled the power in this part of the Russian lands that is now called Ukraine. He wrote to Warsaw demanding that their rights be upheld, and after being refused, he began to write letters to Moscow asking to take them under the strong hand of the Moscow Tsar. There are copies of these documents. I will leave them for your good memory. There is a translation into Russian, you can translate it into English later.
One of the key challenges has been the Russian forces' assault on the Church. Several churches have been destroyed, and priests have been forced to evacuate sacred objects to protect them from attacks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russian forces destroy Catholic Church in Ukraine, as another parish prepares for attack|url=https://www.cathstan.org/us-world/russian-forces-destroy-catholic-church-in-ukraine-as-another-parish-prepares-for-attack|date=14 August 2024|publisher=Catholic Standard}}</ref> Furthermore, Russian authorities in the occupied territories, including Zaporizhzhia, have outlawed the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and other Catholic ministries. This includes groups like the Knights of Columbus and Caritas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russia bans Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Catholic ministries|url=https://www.ucanews.com/news/russia-bans-ukrainian-greek-catholic-church-catholic-ministries/103517|date=8 December 2023|publisher=Union of Catholics Asia Network}}</ref> Church leaders have also been targeted for assassination, with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, being forced to move between safe houses to avoid danger.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russia has Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the crosshairs|url=https://www.churchinneed.org/russia-has-ukrainian-greek-catholic-church-in-the-crosshairs/|date=14 March 2022|publisher=Aid the Church in Need}}</ref> The ongoing conflict has caused significant damage and posed serious threats to both the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and its followers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: Putin Is “Destroying the Basic Principles of Peace”|url=https://bitterwinter.org/ukrainian-greek-catholic-church-putin-and-peace/|date=24 February 2022|publisher=Bitter Winter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Russian drone attack damages Kyiv's Catholic cathedral|url=https://www.detroitcatholic.com/news/russian-drone-attack-damages-kyivs-catholic-cathedral|date=27 November 2023|publisher=Detroit Catholic}}</ref>
Evidence suggests systematic targeting of non-Orthodox faiths by Russian and DPR-LPR militants, often under the banners of the Russian Orthodox Church. Cases include torture of prisoners by individuals dressed as priests and the abduction of religious figures like Ihor Kozlovsky. The situation reflects the broader use of religion as a justification for violence and control, with ties to the concept of the "Russian World" promoted by both the Kremlin and the Moscow Patriarchate. Coynash criticizes the Vatican for overlooking these abuses in its 2016 statement with Patriarch Kirill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian crimes & religious persecution in Donbas that the Pope ignored |date=19 February 2016 |url=https://khpg.org/en/1455660484 |author=Halya Coynash}}</ref>
Russian occupation forces have intensified their repression against Catholics in Donetsk region, sealing off Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) churches and barring worshippers from entering, according to the Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF). Since the start of 2024, Russian militants identifying as "Cossacks" have seized UGCC properties and expelled clergy from the occupied territories. Faithful have appealed to officials of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), but no response has been provided, leaving Greek Catholics without access to their places of worship. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church reported it now has no clergy in the Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. In Berdyansk, two UGCC priests, Redemptorist Fathers Ivan Levitsky and Bohdan Geleta, were detained in November 2022. Father Levitsky is believed to be in a Russian prison in the Rostov region, while Father Geleta is reportedly held in Russian-occupied Crimea under harsh conditions, including acute diabetes. Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk stated that both priests have been subjected to severe torture.
In December 2022, the Kremlin-installed administration in Zaporizhzhia banned the UGCC and other Catholic organizations, accusing them of extremist activities. This suppression aligns with a broader pattern of religious persecution by Russian forces, which have damaged or destroyed at least 660 religious structures since 2022, according to experts. Archbishop Borys Gudziak highlighted that religious institutions in Russia function only if aligned with the government, a policy now extended to occupied Ukrainian territories.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://catholicreview.org/russian-occupation-forces-close-more-catholic-churches-in-ukraine/ |title=Russian occupation forces close more Catholic churches in Ukraine |date=March 27, 2024 |publisher=Catholic Review }}</ref>
Christmass of 2023 and onwards is celebrated on the 25th of December, following the [[Gregorian Calendar]].<ref name=calendar25thDecember>{{cite web|url=https://www.breitbart.com/news/ukrainians-defy-moscow-with-first-dec-25-christmas/|title=Ukrainians defy Moscow with first Dec. 25 Christmas|date=23 December 2023|publisher=[[Breitbart]]}}</ref>
==== Society of Saint Josaphat ====
The [[Traditional Catholic|Catholic Traditionalist]] of [[Roman Catholic Church#Catholic Church Rites (branches)|Byzantine Rite]] assosiation, Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat (SSJK) which is assosiated with the Traditionalist [[Society of St. Pius X]] (SSPX), its based on Lviv.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fsspx.news/es/news/ucrania-ordenaciones-para-la-fraternidad-san-josafat-19217|title=Ucrania: ordenaciones para la Fraternidad San Josafat|publisher=SSPX|language=es|date=5 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://infovaticana.com/2021/10/26/los-lefebvrianos-presumen-del-gran-numero-de-vocaciones-que-han-tenido-en-2021/|title=Los lefebvrianos presumen del gran número de vocaciones que han tenido en 2021|publisher=Info Vaticana|date=26 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sspx.au/en/news/interview-priest-society-saint-josaphat-war-ukraine-28055|title=An Interview with a Priest of the Society of Saint Josaphat on the War in Ukraine|date=17 July 2022|publisher=[[SSPX]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fsspx.news/it/node/23067|title=Bishop de Galarreta Ordains Two Priests in Ukraine|date=6 December 2019|publisher=[[SSPX]]}}</ref>
==Origins of an Ukrainian State: 19th century, 1897 Russian Empire Census and World War I==
==Origins of an Ukrainian State: 19th century, 1897 Russian Empire Census and World War I==
The Bolsheviks of the Soviet Republic of Ukraine occupied Kiev (February 2, 2018) thanks to the fact that many Ukrainian forces changed sides and other refused to fight. The government of the Rada, chaired by Binechenko, that was negotiating a separate peace with the [[Central Powers]], was arrested. The Ukrainian forces concentrated in Pechek, south of Kiev, and the government of the Rada moved to Zhitomir under the presidency of Golubovich. On February 9, 1918, they signed the peace separately with Germany and Austria: Ukraine kept its frontiers and got the territory of Kholm. The German armies broke the ceasefire with Russia on February 18 and entered in Ukraine on February 19. Golubovich, who was in Zhitomir in a desperate situation due to the unstoppable Bolshevik advance, requested help from Germany (February 19). The German troops crossed the Dnieper on March 1 and advanced in all fronts and headed to Kiev that was occupied the following day. On March 3 Bolshevik Russia signed an armistice (that led to the peace of Brest-Litovsk on March 8) and the combats stopped in Russian territory but not in Ukraine. The [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] assigned to Ukraine a part of [[Belorussia]] (March 8), that however lost part of Kholm. On March 12, 1917 practically all Ukraine was under Austrian or German control.
The Bolsheviks of the Soviet Republic of Ukraine occupied Kiev (February 2, 2018) thanks to the fact that many Ukrainian forces changed sides and other refused to fight. The government of the Rada, chaired by Binechenko, that was negotiating a separate peace with the [[Central Powers]], was arrested. The Ukrainian forces concentrated in Pechek, south of Kiev, and the government of the Rada moved to Zhitomir under the presidency of Golubovich. On February 9, 1918, they signed the peace separately with Germany and Austria: Ukraine kept its frontiers and got the territory of Kholm. The German armies broke the ceasefire with Russia on February 18 and entered in Ukraine on February 19. Golubovich, who was in Zhitomir in a desperate situation due to the unstoppable Bolshevik advance, requested help from Germany (February 19). The German troops crossed the Dnieper on March 1 and advanced in all fronts and headed to Kiev that was occupied the following day. On March 3 Bolshevik Russia signed an armistice (that led to the peace of Brest-Litovsk on March 8) and the combats stopped in Russian territory but not in Ukraine. The [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] assigned to Ukraine a part of [[Belorussia]] (March 8), that however lost part of Kholm. On March 12, 1917 practically all Ukraine was under Austrian or German control.
The Germans established a government known as the Hetmanate. The President of the Rada, Golubovich, collaborated with the Germans but they favored the landowners and conservative classes while the government was [[Social democratic]]. As the anti-German agitation was increasing and the Rada was expressing more and more opposition to the occupation regime, the German Army performed a coup d'état. On April 29 the Parliament or Rada elected Michael Hrushewsky as first president of the Republic. The following day the German forces, with the collaboration of the Cossacks of the Hetman Skoropadsky, performed a ''[[coup d'état]]''. Hrushevsky and other members of the Rada were jailed. Martial law was proclaimed. At the head of the government was put the Hetman Paulov Skoropadsky.
[[File:Pavlo Skoropadsky, Hetman of all Ukraine in 1918.jpg|thumbnail|250px|[[Pavlo Skoropadsky]], Hetman of all Ukraine in 1918, the anti-Bolshevik monarch.]]
The Germans established a government known as the Hetmanate. The President of the Rada, Golubovich, collaborated with the Germans but they favored the landowners and conservative classes while the government was [[Social democratic]]. As the anti-German agitation was increasing and the Rada was expressing more and more opposition to the occupation regime, the German Army performed a coup d'état. On April 29 the Parliament or Rada elected Michael Hrushewsky as first president of the Republic. The following day the German forces, with the collaboration of the Cossacks of the Hetman Skoropadsky, performed a ''[[coup d'état]]''. Hrushevsky and other members of the Rada were jailed. Martial law was proclaimed. At the head of the government was put the Hetman Paulov Skoropadsky. The state was supported by the Ukrainian cosacs and some military organizations, after the disbandment of the Central Rada of the People's Republic of Ukraine, in the context of the First World War, and was maintained until December 14 of the same year. The outstanding political figure was General [[Pavlo Skoropadsky|Pavló Skoropadskyi]], who personally exercised power over the theoretical proclamation of the country as a [[monarchy]] in opposition to [[Bolsheviks]].<ref name=Hetmanat>{{cite web |url= http://whp057.narod.ru/ukrder.htm |title= ''Hetmanat of Ukraine'' |date= 12-02-2008 |arxiuurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101225015145/http://whp057.narod.ru/ukrder.htm |access-date= 2010-12-25}}</ref>
In 1919 Kamenskoye was occupied in turn by the Kuban Cossacks, General Anton Denikin of the anti-Bolshevik White army, and the Ukrainian anarchist Nestor Makhno’s Green army. In the area of Guliay-Pole an 'anarchist state' was proclaimed. Makhno fought against the Germans, against the monarchist White armies (on the side of the [[Red Army]]), and against the [[Bolshevik]]s. The flags of the 'makhnovtzy' were black with inscriptions "Anarchy is the mother of order" [Anarkhiya - mat' poriadka] and other inscriptions, or plain black or red-black.
In 1919 Kamenskoye was occupied in turn by the Kuban Cossacks, General Anton Denikin of the anti-Bolshevik White army, and the Ukrainian anarchist Nestor Makhno’s Green army. In the area of Guliay-Pole an 'anarchist state' was proclaimed. Makhno fought against the Germans, against the monarchist White armies (on the side of the [[Red Army]]), and against the [[Bolshevik]]s. The flags of the 'makhnovtzy' were black with inscriptions "Anarchy is the mother of order" [Anarkhiya - mat' poriadka] and other inscriptions, or plain black or red-black.
In 1990 [[Leonid Kravchuk]], formerly in charge of ideology in the CPU, was appointed chairman of the presidium of a revamped supreme soviet, one fourth of whose deputies were nationalists and "democrats" elected in the semifree elections of 1990. On July 16, 1990, Ukraine proclaimed its sovereignty, an ambiguous formula that meant independence to the nationalists and autonomy to the Russian minority. On Nov. 21, 1990, Ukraine and Russia signed a treaty recognizing each other's sovereignty and promising not to interfere in each other's affairs.
In 1990 [[Leonid Kravchuk]], formerly in charge of ideology in the CPU, was appointed chairman of the presidium of a revamped supreme soviet, one fourth of whose deputies were nationalists and "democrats" elected in the semifree elections of 1990. On July 16, 1990, Ukraine proclaimed its sovereignty, an ambiguous formula that meant independence to the nationalists and autonomy to the Russian minority. On Nov. 21, 1990, Ukraine and Russia signed a treaty recognizing each other's sovereignty and promising not to interfere in each other's affairs.
[[File:Percentage of Ukrainians voting yes in the country's 1991 referendum on independence.jpg|350px|thumbnail|Percentage of Ukrainians voting "yes" in the country's 1991 referendum on independence, the majority of each oblast did, including the East, with different percentages. 94% of [[Crimea]]ns voted for independence from [[Kyiv]] in 2014, on a referendum that wasn't convocated by the Ukrainian State.]]
As the Communist system collapsed in 1991, Ukraine, Russia, and the other republics engaged in lengthy negotiations with Gorbachev over the form of a new union. In August 1991 an abortive coup by committed KGB operatives in Moscow destroyed Gorbachev's strength and impelled the republics to go their own way. The Ukraine national assembly declared independence on Aug. 24, 1991. Several days later the CPU was suspended and its property was confiscated. A popular referendum on independence was held on December 1, and over 90 percent of the voters supported the declaration. The "Yes" option won in every single Oblast, having the lower result in Crimea (54.19%) and Sevastopol City (57.07%) and the highest in Ternopil Oblast (98.67%). Most of the countries of the world recognized the new Republic of Ukraine in the months that followed. Ukraine became a member of the Council on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and after much controversy a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 1994. As a consequence of the autonomous republics system, Ukraine became a second [[Yugoslavia]].<ref>https://orientalreview.org/2014/09/15/eight-reasons-why-ukraine-is-new-yugoslavia/</ref>
As the Communist system collapsed in 1991, Ukraine, Russia, and the other republics engaged in lengthy negotiations with Gorbachev over the form of a new union. In August 1991 an abortive coup by committed KGB operatives in Moscow destroyed Gorbachev's strength and impelled the republics to go their own way. The Ukraine national assembly declared independence on Aug. 24, 1991. Several days later the CPU was suspended and its property was confiscated. A popular referendum on independence was held on December 1, and over 90 percent of the voters supported the declaration. The "Yes" option won in every single Oblast, having the lower result in Crimea (54.19%) and Sevastopol City (57.07%) and the highest in Ternopil Oblast (98.67%). Most of the countries of the world recognized the new Republic of Ukraine in the months that followed. Ukraine became a member of the Council on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and after much controversy a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 1994. As a consequence of the autonomous republics system, Ukraine became a second [[Yugoslavia]].<ref>https://orientalreview.org/2014/09/15/eight-reasons-why-ukraine-is-new-yugoslavia/</ref>
[[File:Ukrainian contractors in Afghanistan.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Although not a member of NATO, Ukrainian contractors served as part of [[George W. Bush]]s "coalition of the willing" in the [[Afghan war]]. The [[Biden regime]] abandoned them in [[Afghanistan]] in August 2021, along with contractors from Bulgaria, Romania, and the Georgian Republic. The Russian Federation evacuated them.<ref>https://www.brighteon.com/200d714d-92c4-445e-b42e-a67fab991fd3</ref>]]
[[File:Ukrainian contractors in Afghanistan.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Although not a member of NATO, Ukrainian contractors served as part of [[George W. Bush]]s "coalition of the willing" in the [[Afghan war]]. The [[Biden regime]] abandoned them in [[Afghanistan]] in August 2021, along with contractors from Bulgaria, Romania, and the Georgian Republic. The Russian Federation evacuated them.<ref>https://www.brighteon.com/200d714d-92c4-445e-b42e-a67fab991fd3</ref>]]
International affairs analyst [[Dr. Andrew Korybko]] observed that in one fell swoop, Trudeau discredited himself as a so-called “champion of [[human rights]]”, while Zelensky proved beyond any doubt that an ethnic [[Jew]] can indeed glorify the Nazis’ [[genocidal]] allies despite having family who were murdered in the [[Holocaust]].<ref>[https://korybko.substack.com/p/jews-poles-and-russians-have-united Jews, Poles, & Russians Have United To Condemn Canada For Glorifying A Literal Nazi], ANDREW KORYBKO, SEP 25, 2023.</ref> After being vetted to attend Zelensky's speech by the Canadian government and Trudeau's office, Hunta was introduced by the Speaker as a “Ukrainian-Canadian veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and received two extended standing ovations while Zelensky raised a clenched fist in solidarity. To its credit, even ''[[Politico]]'' reported on the number of Jewish organizations that condemned the [[fascist]] ceremony.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/24/nazi-linked-veteran-ovation-zelenkyy-canada-visit-00117857 Nazi-linked veteran received ovation during Zelenskyy’s Canada visit], By KYLE DUGGAN, ''Politico'', 09/24/2023.</ref> Hunta's family had [[tweet]]ed out days in advance that a separate private meeting had been arranged for Hunta to meet and speak privately with Trudeau and Zelensky.<ref>[[Mark Sleboda]], [https://marksleboda.substack.com/p/canadian-parliament-trudeau-and-zelensky Canadian Parliament, Trudeau & Zelensky Praise and Give Standing Ovation to West Ukrainian Waffen SS Veteran Who "Killed Russians"], Radio Interview on the Critical Hour 25/09/23.</ref>
International affairs analyst [[Dr. Andrew Korybko]] observed that in one fell swoop, Trudeau discredited himself as a so-called “champion of [[human rights]]”, while Zelensky proved beyond any doubt that an ethnic [[Jew]] can indeed glorify the Nazis’ [[genocidal]] allies despite having family who were murdered in the [[Holocaust]].<ref>[https://korybko.substack.com/p/jews-poles-and-russians-have-united Jews, Poles, & Russians Have United To Condemn Canada For Glorifying A Literal Nazi], ANDREW KORYBKO, SEP 25, 2023.</ref> After being vetted to attend Zelensky's speech by the Canadian government and Trudeau's office, Hunta was introduced by the Speaker as a “Ukrainian-Canadian veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and received two extended standing ovations while Zelensky raised a clenched fist in solidarity. To its credit, even ''[[Politico]]'' reported on the number of Jewish organizations that condemned the [[fascist]] ceremony.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/24/nazi-linked-veteran-ovation-zelenkyy-canada-visit-00117857 Nazi-linked veteran received ovation during Zelenskyy’s Canada visit], By KYLE DUGGAN, ''Politico'', 09/24/2023.</ref> Hunta's family had [[tweet]]ed out days in advance that a separate private meeting had been arranged for Hunta to meet and speak privately with Trudeau and Zelensky.<ref>[[Mark Sleboda]], [https://marksleboda.substack.com/p/canadian-parliament-trudeau-and-zelensky Canadian Parliament, Trudeau & Zelensky Praise and Give Standing Ovation to West Ukrainian Waffen SS Veteran Who "Killed Russians"], Radio Interview on the Critical Hour 25/09/23.</ref>
==Vladimir Putin point of view about the origin of the Ukrainian state explained to Tucker Carlson==
In his interview with [[Tucker Carlson]] on February 8, 2024, Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] explained the origins of the Ukrainian state with the following statements.<ref>https://theduran.com/full-transcript-the-interview-of-president-putin-with-tucker-carlson-video/</ref>
'''Vladimir Putin:''' Let’s look where our relationship with Ukraine started from. Where does Ukraine come from?
The Russian state started to exist as a centralized state in 862. This is considered to be the year of creation of the Russian state because this year the townspeople of Novgorod (a city in the North-West of the country) invited Rurik, a Varangian prince from Scandinavia, to reign. In 1862, Russia celebrated the 1000th anniversary of its statehood, and in Novgorod there is a memorial dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the country.<ref>[[Sefdom]] was abolished in the [[Russian Empire]] with the Emancipation of Serfdom edict in 1862 to commemorate the founding of the Russian state, one year in advance of [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s [[Emancipation Proclamation]]. Many historians speculate and claim that Lincoln was inspired and motivated to free [[African American]] [[slave]]s by the Czar's actions a year earlier.<br>[[Solzhenitsyn]] citing the 1862 Emancipation edict was a central theme in his struggle against the Soviet authority, which eventually ended in the Soviet power's demise.<br>*[https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/26/archives/solzhenitsyn-i-am-not-a-serf.html Solzhenitsyn: I Am Not a Serf’], ''[[New York Times]]'', August 26, 1973.<br>*[https://www.nytimes.com/1974/04/06/archives/solzhenitsyn-says-soviet-is-serfdom.html SOLZHENITSYN SAYS SOVIET IS ‘SERFDOM’], ''New York Times'', April 6, 1974.</ref>
In 882, Rurik’s successor Prince Oleg, who was, actually, playing the role of regent at Rurik’s young son because Rurik had died by that time, came to Kiev. He ousted two brothers who, apparently, had once been members of Rurik’s squad. So, Russia began to develop with two centers of power, Kiev and Novgorod.
The next, very significant date in the history of Russia, was 988. This was the Baptism of Russia,<ref>"Baptism of Russia" refers to the [[Christianity|Christianization]] of Russia, largely through the efforts of [[St. Cyril]] and [[Methodius]] who translated the [[Bible]] into Russian and invented the Russian, or "Cyrillic" alphabet, giving the Russian people and culture a written language.</ref> when Prince Vladimir, the great-grandson of Rurik, baptized Russia and adopted [[Orthodox Church|Orthodoxy]], or [[Eastern Rite|Eastern Christianity]]. From this time the centralized Russian state began to strengthen. Why? Because of a single territory, integrated economic ties, one and the same language and, after the Baptism of Russia, the same faith and rule of the Prince.<ref>''Cuius regio, eius religio'' (''In the Prince's land, the Prince's religion'') is the cornerstone of the [[Treaty of Westphalia]] and the notion of national or state sovereignty.</ref> The centralized Russian state began to take shape.
Back in the Middle Ages, Prince Yaroslav the Wise introduced the order of succession to the throne, but after he passed away, it became complicated for various reasons. The throne was passed not directly from father to eldest son, but from the prince who had passed away to his brother,<ref>In the 20th and 21st centuries, a similar situation developed in the [[House of Saud]], which has been the ruling family of the [[Saudi]] state since 1925. Passing the crown sideways instead of in a linear fashion under the laws of [[primogeniture]] can create numerous claimants or "rightful heirs" to the throne.</ref> then to his sons in different lines. All this led to the fragmentation and the [[Kievan_Rus%27#Decline_of_Rus.27|end of Rus’ as a single state]]. There was nothing special about it, the same was happening then in Europe. But the fragmented Russian state became an easy prey to the empire created earlier by [[Genghis Khan]]. His successors, namely, Batu Khan, came to Rus’, plundered and ruined nearly all the cities. The southern part, including Kiev, by the way, and some other cities, simply lost independence, while northern cities preserved some of their sovereignty. They had to pay tribute to the Horde, but they managed to preserve some part of their sovereignty. And then a unified Russian state began to take shape with its centre in Moscow.<ref>In the 13th century the leadership of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] was transferred from Kiev to Moscow due to the [[Mongol invasion]] and became known as the [[Moscow Patriarchate]].</ref>
The southern part of the Russian lands, including Kiev, began to gradually gravitate towards another ”magnet“ – the centre that was emerging in Europe. This was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was even called the Lithuanian-Russian Duchy, because Russians were a significant part of its population. They spoke the Old Russian language and were Orthodox. But then there was a unification, the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. A few years later, another union was signed, but this time already in the religious sphere. Some of the Orthodox priests became subordinate to the Pope. Thus, these lands became part of the [[Polish-Lithuanian state]].
During decades, the Poles were engaged in the ”Polonization“ of this part of the population: they introduced their language there, tried to entrench the idea that this population was not exactly Russians, that because they lived on the fringe (''u kraya'') they were “Ukrainians”. Originally, the word ‘Ukrainian’ meant that a person was living on the outskirts of the state, near the fringe, or was engaged in border service. It didn’t mean any particular ethnic group.
[[File:Nazi propaganda from US Embassy Kyiv.jpg|right|500px|thumb|[[Historical revisionism]], [[Russophobia]], and racist [[Nazi]] [[propaganda]] tweeted by the US Embassy in Kyiv, February 22, 2022, two days before the start of the [[special military operation]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKyiv/status/1496115593149358081 U.S. Embassy Kyiv @USEmbassyKyiv], 6:32 AM · Feb 22, 2022. twitter.com/USEmbassyKyiv</ref>]]
So, the Poles were trying in every possible way to polonize this part of the Russian lands and actually treated it rather harshly, not to say cruelly. All that led to the fact that this part of the Russian lands began to struggle for their rights. They wrote letters to Warsaw demanding that their rights be observed and that people be commissioned here, including to Kiev…
'''Tucker Carlson:''' I beg your pardon, can you tell us what period… I am losing track of where in history we are?
'''Vladimir Putin:''' It was in the 13th century.
Now I will tell what happened later and give the dates so that there is no confusion. And in 1654, even a bit earlier, the people who were in control of the authority over that part of the Russian lands, addressed Warsaw, I repeat, demanding their rights be observed that they send to them rulers of Russian origin and Orthodox faith. When Warsaw did not answer them and in fact rejected their demands, they turned to Moscow so that Moscow took them away.
So that you don’t think that I am inventing things… I’ll give you these documents…<ref>The documents from [[Kremlin]] archives include a letter from Bogdan Khmelnitsky to Czar Aleksey Mikhailovich requesting protection for Orthodox Christians residing in the borderlands (''u kraya'') for protection from violence and discrimination in civil life from [[Roman Catholic]] Poland under the suzerainty of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Some 117 Ukrainian towns and 127,000 people swore an oath of loyalty to the Czar who added "All Great and Little Russia autocrat" to his title. "Little Russia", or Malorussia, was the name used by the Russian minority living in territories claimed by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth who, 3 centuries later, called themselves "Ukrainian".</ref>
'''Tucker Carlson:''' It doesn’t sound like you are inventing it, but I am not sure why it’s relevant to what’s happened two years ago.
'''Vladimir Putin:''' But still, these are documents from the archives, copies. Here are letters from [[Bogdan Khmelnitsky]], the man who then controlled the power in this part of the Russian lands that is now called Ukraine. He wrote to Warsaw demanding that their rights be upheld, and after being refused, he began to write letters to Moscow asking to take them under the strong hand of the Moscow Tsar. There are copies of these documents. I will leave them for your good memory. There is a translation into Russian, you can translate it into English later.
Russia would not agree to admit them straight away, assuming that the war with Poland would start. Nevertheless, in 1654, the Pan-Russian Assembly of top Clergy and Landowners headed by the Tsar (Zemsky Sobor), which was the representative body of power of the Old Russian state, decided to include a part of the Old Russian lands into the Moscow Kingdom.
As expected, the war with Poland began. It lasted 13 years, and then in 1654, a truce was concluded. And 32 years later, I think, a peace treaty with Poland, which they called ”eternal peace,“ was signed. And these lands, the whole left bank of the [[Dnieper]], including Kiev, went to Russia, and the whole right bank of the Dnieper remained in Poland.
Under the rule of Catherine the Great, Russia reclaimed all of its historical lands, including in the south and west. This all lasted until the Revolution. Before World War I, Austrian General Staff relied on the ideas of Ukrainianization and started actively promoting the ideas of Ukraine and the Ukrainianization. Their motive was obvious. Just before World War I they wanted to weaken the potential enemy and secure themselves favourable conditions in the border area. So the idea which had emerged in Poland that people residing in that territory were allegedly not really Russians, but rather belonged to a special ethnic group, Ukrainians, started being propagated by the Austrian General Staff.
As far back as the 19th century, theorists calling for Ukrainian independence appeared. All those, however, claimed that Ukraine should have a very good relationship with Russia. They insisted on that. After the 1917 Revolution, the Bolsheviks sought to restore the statehood, and the Civil War began, including the hostilities with Poland. In 1921, peace with Poland was proclaimed, and under that treaty, the right bank of the Dnieper River once again was given back to Poland.
In 1939, after Poland cooperated with Hitler — it did collaborate with Hitler, you know —Hitler offered Poland peace and a treaty of friendship and alliance (we have all the relevant documents in the archives), demanding in return that Poland give back to Germany the so-called Danzig Corridor, which connected the bulk of Germany with [[East Prussia]] and [[Konigsberg]]. After World War I this territory was transferred to Poland, and instead of Danzig, a city of Gdansk emerged. Hitler asked them to give it amicably, but they refused.
==NATO war in Ukraine==
==NATO war in Ukraine==
{{See also|NATO war in Ukraine}}
{{See also|NATO war in Ukraine}}
[[File:Ukrainian church in Bohorodychne destroyed by Russian bombings.jpg|thumbnail|left|Ukrainian church in Bohorodychne destroyed by Russian bombings.]]
[[File:Photo 2024-12-05 16-57-51.jpg|right|300px|thumb|German puppet Chancellor [[Olaf Scholz]] with Ukrainian [[dictator]] [[Volodymyr Zelensky]]. Circled in orange: the double-headed eagles of the [[Russian Empire]].]]
[[File:Photo 2024-12-05 16-57-51.jpg|right|300px|thumb|German puppet Chancellor [[Olaf Scholz]] with Ukrainian [[dictator]] [[Volodymyr Zelensky]]. Circled in orange: the double-headed eagles of the [[Russian Empire]].]]
A 2019 Rand Corporation paper entitled ''Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground'' knowingly imperiled Ukraine as a nation and its people, to extend Russia in the hopes of precipitating a sociopolitical or economic collapse, or both, with the full understanding Ukraine itself would lose any such conflict. The policy of militarizing Ukraine to provoke a Russian intervention was anticipated, according to the report, "to produce disproportionately large Ukrainian casualties, territorial losses, and refugee flows as well as a disadvantageous peace."<ref>Dobbins, James, Raphael S. Cohen, Nathan Chandler, Bryan Frederick, Edward Geist, Paul DeLuca, Forrest E. Morgan, Howard J. Shatz, and Brent Williams, ''Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground.'' Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2019. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3063.html. [p. 100]</ref>
A 2019 Rand Corporation paper entitled ''Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground'' knowingly imperiled Ukraine as a nation and its people, to extend Russia in the hopes of precipitating a sociopolitical or economic collapse, or both, with the full understanding Ukraine itself would lose any such conflict. The policy of militarizing Ukraine to provoke a Russian intervention was anticipated, according to the report, "to produce disproportionately large Ukrainian casualties, territorial losses, and refugee flows as well as a disadvantageous peace."<ref>Dobbins, James, Raphael S. Cohen, Nathan Chandler, Bryan Frederick, Edward Geist, Paul DeLuca, Forrest E. Morgan, Howard J. Shatz, and Brent Williams, ''Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground.'' Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2019. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3063.html. [p. 100]</ref>