The Claim:
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev falsely proclaimed that “Ukraine is Russia” at a youth congress in Sochi on March 4, and that Ukraine has “no future” outside of belonging to Russia. He said that the concept of an independent Ukraine “must vanish forever. Ukraine is without a doubt Russia.” He added that by continuing to defend their sovereignty, “the best fate they [Ukrainians] can expect [from the West] is to become slaves to the ailing European freak show.” Ukrainians he said “will play the role of a deaf-mute servant who is raped every day in a European kitchen by a lord from overseas.”
Narrative Context:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s comments during his March 5 appearance in Sochi, underscore The Kremlin’s neo-imperialist ambitions in Ukraine. By standing in front of a map that geographically reduces Ukraine’s borders to a fraction of its current size and declaring “Ukraine is Russia,” Medvedev openly dismisses the concept of Ukrainian sovereignty and identity, signalling a clear intent to reassert Russian control over Ukraine. This position effectively rejects any possibility of recognizing Ukraine as an independent state, framing the conflict not as an invasion but as a reclamation of what they consider historically Russian territory. This perspective confirms the neo-imperialist motives behind Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
This recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative is intended to undermine Ukraine’s soveriegnty and its statehood, and for the Kremlin to justify its invasion of Ukraine and the illegal referendums it has held in territories occupied by Russia.
The Facts:
Ukraine, with its rich history dating back to the Kyivan Rus’ in the 9th-13th centuries, has a distinct national identity and literature. Ukraine became fully independent in the 20th century after the collapse of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires, leading to the formation of the Ukrainian People’s Republic. Ukraine was occupied by the Bolsheviks and for decades was under Soviet control. Ukraine remained occupied and colonized by the Soviet Union until declaring sovereignty and then full independence in 1991, which was recognized globally, including by Russia. Pro-Kremlin narratives often deny Ukrainian statehood, portraying it as unstable or Western-controlled. However, Ukraine is a sovereign nation with a democratically-elected government, violated by Russia’s aggressive actions since 2014, culminating in a full-scale invasion in 2022.
Video of Medvedev’s Speech Here:
