Putin Claims Ukraine Was Never A Real Country, Calls It “Madness” That Nations Were Allowed To Leave USSR

From the Russia state outlet Pravda:

Putin started his urgent address to the nation with an insight into the history of Ukraine and its creation. The Ukraine that we know today was created during the times of Bolshevist Russia, he said. Putin in particular said that today’s Ukraine was completely created by Lenin.

Today’s Ukraine can be referred to as “The Ukraine in the name of Vladimir Lenin”,” Putin said. He was the author and the architect of Ukraine,” he added. Ukraine has never had true statehood of its own, Putin said, recalling the scale of corruption of Ukraine.

There is no independent statehood in Ukraine — everything depends on what Westerners say. Foreign advisors are in charge of Ukrainian intelligence services. “We are well aware of that,” he said.

Putin says Ukraine is “a colony led by by a puppet regime”

— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) February 21, 2022

Putin says it’s “madness” former Soviet republics were allowed to leave the USSR. Think of the many independent democratic nations beyond Ukraine that he’s referring to, including NATO allies Estonia Lithuania and Latvia.

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) February 21, 2022

And after everything, this Putin speech has nothing to do with NATO and everything to do with challenging Ukraine’s legitimacy as a state.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) February 21, 2022

20+ min in, Putin makes his thesis clear: Ukraine was historically part of Russia, we share a bond. But today, due to consecutive interference from the West, intended to threaten Russia, Ukraine is governed from abroad. This can’t be allowed given the threat of nuclear weapons.

— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) February 21, 2022

NOW – Putin: Russia recognizes the independence of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/K3dSo0e0L0

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 21, 2022