Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his stance that Russia and Ukraine will eventually reunite, stating it's inevitable and will happen sooner or later. He linked this inevitability to a shared spiritual level and identity between the two nations, dismissing the distinct national identity of Ukraine. Putin criticized nationalism, labeling it as a poison affecting many peoples, including Ukrainians, and likened it to the most disgusting manifestations of nationalism. His comments come amid ongoing tensions and a recent missile attack by Russia on Ukraine. These remarks echo his previous assertions, notably in a July 2021 essay, where he argued based on a thousand years of history that Russians and Ukrainians are one people, a viewpoint criticized for distorting historical facts. He humorously remarked that nationalism sounds like 'Cocaine is a hell of a drug' coming from him and described the situation as a 'cancerous tumor.'
Russian Prez Putin: 'There will be #Russia-#Ukraine reunification soon' https://t.co/eIkFpY1FEZ https://t.co/2WTP1q4DoH
In July 2021 Vladimir Putin published an essay that raced through 1,000 years of history to argue that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. These seven maps demonstrate his distortion of the past https://t.co/YHk6Lmvjgd 👇
⚡️ "Sooner or later there will be a reunification of the peoples of Russia and Ukraine, it is inevitable," Putin said. At the same time, Russia carried out another missile attack on Ukraine. I don't know what to say. It's really like a cancerous tumor. There is no point in… https://t.co/XCv2WTYPGH https://t.co/vO5hsMJ5z2
Putin: The unification of Russians and Ukrainians will happen sooner or later "And this is hindered by the most disgusting manifestations of nationalism. This is the poison that poisons the lives of so many peoples, including today in Ukraine," said Russian leader Vladimir… https://t.co/P9TJchUkIB
Putin says Russia and Ukraine "will be reunited, at least at the spiritual level – it's inevitable," meaning Ukraine can't have an identity distinct from Russia's. Then he says "nationalism poisons many peoples," which from him sounds like "Cocaine is a hell of a drug" https://t.co/AgW39dL8Po