On the occasion of the main holiday of our state, Independence Day, ICTV Facts talked to historians and experts to remind the basics once again. Even in the 9th year of a full-scale war, one has to refute the main Russian narrative and explain: Ukraine is not Russia, but Ukrainians and Russians — completely different peoples. Our war of independence has been going on for more than 3.5 centuries.
The Muscovite-Ukrainian confrontation began in the second half of the 17th century and has been going on for more than 300 years, says Vitaliy Dribnitsa, a history teacher and blogger on the Vox Veritatis YouTube channel Golos Pravdy.
According to him, Ukrainians are now really fighting for independence, because the majority of the population of the Russian Federation explicitly or implicitly supports military aggression against Ukraine.
– This is a war for the independence of Ukraine. Because if we stop being defensive — we will simply cease to exist, and if they stop attacking, the war will end.
Dribnitsa notes that Russians do not study the history of Ukraine and have no idea about our state.
– For them, Ukraine is a historical part of Russia. And they absolutely consciously believe that they are returning their historical territories. This is what Putin voiced, but it is also what corresponds to the concepts of the “deep Russian people”. They consider Ukraine to be part of the territory of Russia, which was either Polonized or Austrianized – something like that. But they honestly believe that this is their territory. And it is almost impossible to overcome it,” he says.
The historian believes that the Russians are hopelessly ill with chauvinism and imperialism and the conclusion of agreements with them — useless business.
He notes that, since the time of the Moscow kingdom, their territories have been constantly expanding by capturing neighboring territories, and they cannot perceive history differently.
— In the Russian tradition, any transaction is regarded as submission. That is, the Russian position is always higher. And the position of the person with whom the agreement is concluded is always lower. And in their understanding of the convention — this is a temporary document, which is concluded in order for this territory, people or population to become part of their state and no more, — Dribnitsa noted.
Recall that the historian and soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Alferov, in an exclusive interview with Facts ICTV, told why the Russians have been trying to seize Ukraine for many centuries.
