The world cannot ignore Putin’s Ukraine obsession
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual televised phone-in show. June 30, 2021. (Sputnik/Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via REUTERS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has finally published his hotly-anticipated essay on the “historical unity” of Russians and Ukrainians, and it did not disappoint.
This 5,000 word epic doesn’t contain anything entirely new, but it does serve as an important official record of the many myths and conspiracy theories that have long fueled Putin’s obsession with Ukraine. It also makes clear that he views his ongoing campaign of aggression against Ukraine as both an historic mission and a noble cause. Far from seeking to promote understanding and reconciliation between the two nations, the Russian leader’s article reads like a justification for an even larger war.
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The Week that Will Be
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Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence on July 8, 2021. (Alexei Nikolsky/Presidential Press Office/TASS via REUTERS)
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