Ethnic and religious differences between Russians and Ukrainians...
Russians With Attitude@RWApodcast
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Oct 27, 2025
~2 min read
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Ethnic and religious differences between Russians and Ukrainians are fuzzy
What truly defines someone as 'Ukrainian' is political opposition to Moscow
They are best understood as a breakaway Russian political party🧵
What truly defines someone as 'Ukrainian' is political opposition to Moscow
They are best understood as a breakaway Russian political party🧵
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Imagine US Democrat-controlled East Coast territories breaking off as an independent state right now
Borders would be insanely messy, with people left behind
Donbass would be like West Virginia - a region that "flipped red" and seceded from the "Dem plantation"
Borders would be insanely messy, with people left behind
Donbass would be like West Virginia - a region that "flipped red" and seceded from the "Dem plantation"
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Russia-Ukraine is a political conflict-turned-civil war
Long before Ukrainian statehood in 1991, it was already this way
The West knows this, that's why they stopped funding the weak Russian opposition and redirected support to Ukrainians, a far more potent opposition force
Long before Ukrainian statehood in 1991, it was already this way
The West knows this, that's why they stopped funding the weak Russian opposition and redirected support to Ukrainians, a far more potent opposition force
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If Russia conquered all of Ukraine tomorrow, Ukrainian opposition would persist - just within Russia's borders
Ukraine's natural state is rebellion under Russian or Polish control, and history shows this over and over
Ukraine's natural state is rebellion under Russian or Polish control, and history shows this over and over
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When Russian "nationalists" fled to Kiev in the 2010s, it was completely natural
Ukraine functions as Russia's largest exterritorial opposition party. That's why Russian libs or skinheads feel right at home in Kiev
Ukraine functions as Russia's largest exterritorial opposition party. That's why Russian libs or skinheads feel right at home in Kiev
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This also partly explains why Ukraine gave up Crimea without a fight in 2014
To Ukrainians, Crimeans weren't even "traitors", they were never part of their movement to begin with
To Ukrainians, Crimeans weren't even "traitors", they were never part of their movement to begin with
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Donbass was different - more mixed, with some locals identifying as political Ukrainians. Hence the struggle there is bloodier and less clear-cut
Of course, many other factors exist, but the political angle is crucial
Of course, many other factors exist, but the political angle is crucial
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Why did Ukrainians rise against Yanukovich in 2014? Not because he was more corrupt than others, not bc he was a "puppet"
He played the middleman, milking both Russia and the EU
His real sin was being a "DINO": refusing to fight Russia defeats the whole point of being Ukrainian
He played the middleman, milking both Russia and the EU
His real sin was being a "DINO": refusing to fight Russia defeats the whole point of being Ukrainian
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Any ethnic Ukrainian neutral or loyal to Russia is seen as a collaborator and gets rejected from the Ukrainian tent altogether
Any ethnic Russian, Jew, Arab - anyone opposed to Russia - counts as a true Ukrainian
Any ethnic Russian, Jew, Arab - anyone opposed to Russia - counts as a true Ukrainian
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Ukraine is a political identity first, ethnicity last
That longstanding political struggle exploded into years of industrial-scale slaughter
Hot take: Russia should have 3 parties - Whites, Reds, and Ukrainians
No idea if it would change anything, but at least it'd be honest
That longstanding political struggle exploded into years of industrial-scale slaughter
Hot take: Russia should have 3 parties - Whites, Reds, and Ukrainians
No idea if it would change anything, but at least it'd be honest
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Geographic Ukraine is largely HIJACKED by political Ukrainians
In a hypothetical 3-party system under a neo-Russian empire, all three parties would be represented:
Orthodox voting White, Socialists voting Red, and the share of political Ukrainians reduced
In a hypothetical 3-party system under a neo-Russian empire, all three parties would be represented:
Orthodox voting White, Socialists voting Red, and the share of political Ukrainians reduced
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The downside: Reds and Whites would start another civil war, this time in Moscow.
Oh well.
Oh well.