- Putin said Wednesday Russia has always respected Ukraine's people and culture.
- The Russian president has repeatedly dismissed Ukraine's right to independent statehood.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he has always respected the people and culture of Ukraine — a neighboring country his forces invaded without provocation earlier this year, starting a war that has claimed thousands of civilian lives.
"We always, and even today despite the current tragedy, hold great respect for the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian culture, language, literature, and so on," Putin said while speaking at an award ceremony for teachers, according to $4 translation.
But, Putin went on to say, Russia couldn't allow what was happening in Ukraine to the Russian culture and the Russian language, according to a video of his remarks shared by $4. Putin appeared to be alluding to his prior claim that Ukraine was committing genocide against ethnic Russians, however, $4.
—UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) $4
Despite his remarks about respecting Ukrainian culture, Putin has repeatedly dismissed the country's right to exist. When $4 in February, Putin baselessly asserted that Ukraine was not a real country, was created by the Soviet Union, and had no legitimate right to statehood.
Many historians have rejected that assessment, citing $4, which was formed in 1922.
The histories of Russia and Ukraine are intertwined, and parts of Ukraine were at some point part of the Russian Empire. But Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the political Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting organization, told $4 in February: "Putin's argument today that Ukraine is historically subsumed by Russia is just not right."
Kupchan added that "the breadth and vehemence with which he went after all things Ukrainian was remarkable."
Putin also has falsely said Russia gave Ukraine the right to break away after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In fact, the Ukrainian people overwhelmingly voted for independence in a 1991 referendum. About 84% of eligible voters went to the polls and $4.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the $4 has confirmed more than 14,000 civilian casualties, with 5,767 killed, as of September. However, the true numbers are believed to be much higher. $4 said in August about 9,000 Ukrainian service members had also died during the war.
$4, though the Kremlin has denied ever targeting anything other than military assets. A $4 concluded last month that Russian forces had carried out war crimes, including killing civilians, torture, and rape.
Speaking Wednesday, Putin also said he would stabilize the four regions of Ukraine that he has claimed are now part of Russia, $4 by Ukraine and the West.