Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic: ‘Who does not understand the war in Ukraine, let it read the essay of Vladimir Putin’
Former President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, in today’s visit to RTL today, has recommended anyone who still do not understand the causes and context of the war in Ukraine to read the essay of Russian President Vladimir Putin of July 2021.
« I recommend to all those who are not yet a clear war in Ukraine to read Putin’s essay, » Grabar-Kitarovic said, referring to the text entitled about the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians, published on the official website of Kremlin.
The Essay, a long 18 pages, represents a personal interpretation of the history of Russia and Ukraine’s relationship, and amounts to three basic theses that the Russian president uses to justify the views and moves of Moscow compared to Ukraine.
« One People »: denial of Ukrainian identity
In the first thesis, Putin claims that Russians, Ukrainians and Belarus are historically one people, descendants of the medieval state of the Kiev Russians. According to his view, the Ukrainian national identity has been formed artificially over the centuries, primarily under the influence of Polish, Austro-Hungarian and Soviet politics. Modern Ukraine, Putin believes, was shaped by Moscow, « gifts » of territories such as Crimea, Donbas and other regions.
Ukraine as a Western project against Russia
Another key message of the essay is the claim that Ukraine has been transformed into an « anti-Rusia » by the action of the West. Putin accuses the United States and the European Union of encouraging and instrumentalizing the change of government in Kiev after 2014 and created a regime resting on Russophobia. The Russian president rejects responsibility for aggression, claiming that the Western forces used Ukraine to limit Russian influence and bring the country closer to NATO.
Sovereignty with Russia – or by no means
In the final thesis of Putin, Putin states that the true sovereignty of Ukraine can exist only in close cooperation with Russia. Although he claims that Russia does not want to be « Anti-Ukrajina », she points out that he will not tolerate Ukraine as « anti-Rusia ». The message of the essay combines an emotional appeal about the « brotherly people » with a threat – any attempt to move away from Moscow is considered a threat to Russian existence.
The essay ends with a message that « Russians and Ukrainians are a nation » and that they would « be stronger together ». However, this vision of communion implies that Ukraine accepts the role determined by Russia.
With this statement, Grabar-Kitarovic recalled the importance of understanding the historical and ideological framework from which Russian procedures in Ukraine arise, and pointed out the importance of the Putin essay as a political manifestation ahead of the invasion that began just a few months later.
