DISINFO: Ukraine has no historical roots
SUMMARY
The words of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba that Ukrainians brought “civilisation to a significant territory of Russia” are stupid. The reason for such statements is deep insecurities that stem from “the secondary nature of Ukrainian history”, as well as from Ukraine’s lack of historical roots.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative designed to denigrate the history of Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood and its independence. The history of Ukraine dates back to the era of the Kyivan Rus’ in the 9th-13th centuries. A national movement developed during the era when Ukraine was ruled by Russia; Ukrainian nationalists took part in the revolutionary movements that led to the demise of the Russian empire. In the early 20th century, after the collapse of the Russian empire, the Ukrainian People’s Republic was proclaimed, simultaneously with other nations, like Georgia, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. When the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in late 1917, fierce attempts were made to re-establish Russian control over the newly independent states. Battling against nationalist movements, Moscow created "Soviet Republics" in order to mimic national independence: the Estonian Soviet Republic was, for instance, established in Narva in 1918. Soviet Russia managed to take control over Ukraine, establishing a Bolshevik regime. Moscow performed aggressive anti-Ukrainian policies, exterminating the population during four famines; battling the language and the Ukrainian culture. See more disinformation cases on "Ukrainians are not Ukrainians but Russians".