During the prime time, in a fierce tone and in vague terms, Russian President Putin revealed his arguments on state television yesterday to recognize and pledge to support the independence of two people’s republics in eastern Ukraine. Thus torpedoing the fragile truce between the Kiev government and Russia-backed rebels agreed in 2015 in Minsk.
Putin spoke for fifteen minutes, covering everything: the Napoleonic War, the October Revolution, World War II, Stalin, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Putin pointed out in his history lesson that Ukraine as an independent country has no historical right to exist. He said that today’s Ukraine is the creation of the Communists, and specifically of Lenin, one of the revolutionary leaders and the first leader of the Soviet Union.
Putin rhetorically asked Ukraine’s rulers if they still wanted to get rid of the communist past. He gave himself a frightening answer: “That’s fine with us. But let’s not stop halfway. Russia is ready to show you what cutting off Communism really means.”
Watch a summary of Putin’s speech here:
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