| Summary/Abstract |
On 24 February Russia invaded Ukraine, an act of aggression condemned by a large majority of members of the United Nations. The roots of this invasion lie in a particular perception of Russian and Ukrainian history held by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an article he penned last year, he held that Ukrainians and Russians are the same people, and that Ukraine should look to Russia rather than the West. Although there is no question that the two countries have long been closely associated, Putin ignored facts which did not fit into the model of the friendly relationship between Russians and Ukrainians.
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