As the U.S. government prosecutes its war against Russia in the Ukraine the administration requires a continuing narrative of support for its version of events and causality of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This morning National Public Radio broadcast a tale of two statues of Vladmir- the founder of Kievan Rus, as a way to convey the impression the Russians are pretenders to be leaders of the Slavic world and Ukraine was always an independent country not part of Russia or the Rus. People that have read history know that is largely in error.
Vladimir- a Viking whom had ventured down the Dnepr River in the era of Vikings traveling European rivers for exploration and war in the 9th century onward a few hundred years, consolidated the river settlement of the Slavic people at Kiev and the Russian nation formed. Russians increased in population and eventually expanded north and east to areas sparsely populated for hundreds of years. Eventually the capital of Russia became Moscow- a convenient location especially as Russia eastward expansion took them over the Urals and to the Pacific. NPR gave the false impression that Ukraine was always an independent country and wasn’t part of Russia, and that is propaganda.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_people
The history of the Varangian-Vikings and their heirs that expanded Russia is fascinating and of course jostles within themselves and with other people around them for land. That process is what is continuing today. President Biden and the Democrats decided to get involved and take some land for the Catholic-Polish and German-British side.
If the United States last another century or two it is possible the capital may be moved to Missouri and that wouldn’t mean that Washington D.C. is no longer part of the U.S.A. The capital at Moscow does not mean that the Ukraine isn’t part of the historical Russia. Moscow can rightly claim to be the lineal successor of the Rurik dynasty and the nation of the Rus founded by Grand Prince Vladimir at Kiev. It should be noted that Vladimir was not the first leader of the Rurik dynasty- that would be Rurik. Vikings were leaders and Slavs and Finns the people for some time, although I would guess that the bloodlines merged eventually.
Power compensates for the need to be accurate or truthful; for administration that is very helpful for providing rationale to support supplying multiple launch rockets to Ukrainians so associates can send missiles flying about Ukraine at Russians. When taking a country- Ukraine, from Russia, it would be better to be honest about the historical facts, than disingenuous.
The better version would be that President Clinton levered Ukrainian independence from Russia while warring on Serbia during the interregnum following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. After a quarter century of rebuilding Russia the Russians are trying to take back the Ukraine.
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