Statkevich: The true goal of the war in Ukraine is the liquidation of Ukrainians as a nation

«The Russian-Ukrainian war has been going on for five years now. Despite victorious and opposing reports from both sides, in dry figures, Russia has still not managed to capture even the entire Donbas. A small uncaptured part of this devastated territory is somehow declared by Moscow's propaganda to be almost the main goal of the war, the achievement of which will be considered its victory.

It should be noted that the goals of the war declared by the Kremlin have repeatedly changed. Initially, it was to stop the advance of "ominous NATO" towards Russian borders. But, after Finland and Sweden joined the "threatening" bloc, which did not provoke a noticeable reaction from the Russian Federation, the threat of Ukraine joining NATO somehow receded into the background in Russian propaganda.

If NATO is already near Piter (St. Petersburg), then talking about a war to prevent its advance towards Kursk is somehow too late. Only to remind subjects that it has already approached "as far as it can go." Therefore, now the official goal of the war for the Kremlin is to capture the remaining territory of the long-suffering Donbas.

For the sake of this "great" goal, the Kremlin refuses a ceasefire, dooms hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians to suffering and death, sacrifices its own economy and the future of its country. The question inevitably arises, what is all this for, what are the war and the losses for?

For the sake of the "peoples of the DPR and LPR"? Well, before 2022, they could have been declared "subjects of the Russian Federation" even without war. Ukraine would hardly have started a war with Russia over these already breakaway territories. The example of the annexation of Crimea showed this. Western protests and sanctions? In any case, less than now.

So why has a small increase in the territories of those "DPR and LPR" now become so important that the Kremlin is almost ready to start a nuclear war over them?

It seems that this is a false goal. But it has been declared, repeated many times, and hammered into people's heads by propaganda, and now its rejection could be perceived by Russians as a defeat.

It is already evident that the true goal of the war is different, and also based on a lie.

This goal is the destruction of the Ukrainian state and nation. Once, to get rid of the memory of the shameful centuries of Mongol slavery and to claim rights to Ukraine and Belarus, Moscow brazenly appropriated the history of modern Ukrainians, declaring it its own.

Yes, indeed, once significant territories of modern Russia were subject to Kyiv. But to declare themselves the true owners of Ukraine and its ancient and glorious history because of this is to brazenly lie. This is like the US president declaring Great Britain and France American territories because these countries once owned lands in the territory of modern USA. Although, these days anything can happen.

Historical falsehood, once reinforced by the strategically disastrous choice of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, became the basis of the Russian historical myth, the pillar of the national self-consciousness of Russians.

But the appearance of their own state among Ukrainians, their legitimate claims to their own history, struck a strong blow to the national self-esteem of Russians. Therefore, the very existence of the Ukrainian nation was declared a manifestation of "Nazism." And Russian public opinion supported the true goal of the war – the liquidation of Ukrainians as a nation.

Now, when this nation, in the eyes of the whole world and Russians, including, has proven its right to existence, and thus to its ancient history, the Kremlin has another motive for continuing the war – fear of Ukrainian revenge for what was done to their people and country.

By the way, the Kremlin has already made attempts to create a new historical myth for its subjects. The construction of a new "sanctuary" near Sevastopol instead of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra already bombed by them – is from this series.

Given the problems these attempts by Moscow to militarily save its false historical myth create for the region and the world, I must help our eastern neighbors find a new one. My advice – look in your own real history and on your own land.

Take an example from Belarusians. We do not claim what belongs to others. We base ourselves on our own. Although the history of the Polotsk Principality is slightly later than the Kyiv Principality and it was subordinated to Kyiv for a short time (our historians say about 70 years in total), it is, at least, our own. And it gives us the undeniable right to trace the history of our statehood from it.

More than a thousand years – that's not a little.

I can elaborate on my advice – look closely at your history. No, I'm not talking about the free Novgorod, with its distinct language, annihilated by the Muscovites. The Vladimir-Suzdal Principality – that's indisputably yours. Ancient, at one time it rose higher than Kyiv. With a very centralized power, just like yours now. Not to mention the truly ancient and beautiful temples.

You don't need to thank me for the advice. Just stop bothering your neighbors with your "triune" people, which never existed. Your false myths cost us dearly before and cost us dearly now. To you, I think, not little either. Better deal with organizing your own life and preserving your own territory," Mykola Statkevich concluded.

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