Putin Holds us "Under Pressure'

Why a war in Ukraine? Well, it seems it might have to do with a fancy obelisk...

Moscow, Sunday,

The Russian president frequently paints a picture of "Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians" all being reunited, as the "descendants of Ancient Rus", a land which was once the largest state in Europe.

Vladimir Putin is referring to these obscure historical events to justify Russian encroachments into neighboring countries including Ukraine. In an article published on his presidential web page in July 2021, he wrote ominously of Russians and Ukrainians as "one people - a single whole", "parts of what is essentially the same historical and spiritual space".

The Kremlin thesis goes that the Ukrainians are "one people" with the Russians, but trapped in a failing state controlled by Western forces determined to divide and conquer the post-Soviet world.

That’s why, today, a tall, painted concrete obelisk marks the meeting point of the three nations descended from Kyivan Rus, the medieval civilization Vladimir Putin invokes as the well-spring of his claim to a sphere of influence.

The Three Sisters Monument of Friendship, standing proudly on the border of three Slavic countries (Belarus, Russia and Ukraine) is white with three angular components decorated in red Slavic patterns corresponding to the three countries.

Kyivan Rus was the first state to arise among the Eastern Slavs, taking its name from the city of Kyiv.

At its zenith, it covered a territory stretching from the Carpathian Mountains to the Volga River, and from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. The state's rapid rise and development was based on its advantageous location at the intersection of major north-south and east-west land and water trade routes with access to two major seas, and favorable local conditions for the development of agriculture.

In the 8th century, the region was inhabited by a number of tribes who shared a common language, pagan beliefs, and lifestyle. In the 9th century, the Varangians from Scandinavia conquered the tribes and laid the groundwork for the Kyivan Rus state.

According to some sources, the first Varangian rulers of Rus were Askold and Dyr. In 882 they were killed by the Viking Prince Oleh/Oleg, who sailed down the Dnipro River with a force of Varangians, Slavs, and Finns and captured Kyiv before then having its rulers Askold and Dyr murdered, and himself proclaimed prince.

In Putin's account "the idea of Ukrainian people as a nation separate from the Russians" has "no historical basis" but is part of a false narrative used for political purposes by his European rivals.

And so, this is why an obscure history and a shiny monument today threaten to lead to World War III.