{"id":1380055,"date":"2026-06-02T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T06:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/?p=1380055"},"modified":"2026-06-01T08:44:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T05:44:33","slug":"putin-weaponizes-history-to-justify-war-against-ukraine-dutch-researcher-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/putin-weaponizes-history-to-justify-war-against-ukraine-dutch-researcher-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Putin weaponizes history to justify war against Ukraine, Dutch researcher says"},"content":{"rendered":" <p>Russian President Vladimir Putin has systematically turned his own interpretation of history into a political weapon to justify Russia\u2019s aggression against Ukraine and build support for the war both domestically and internationally, according to Niels Drost of the Netherlands-based Clingendael Institute.<\/p>\n   <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukrinform.net\/rubric-polytics\/4129177-expert-putin-is-using-his-own-version-of-history-as-weapon-to-justify-war-against-ukraine.html\">Speaking to Ukrinform <\/a>in The Hague, Drost argued that Putin relies on a selective reading of the past to claim that Ukraine lacks a legitimate right to exist as an independent state.<\/p>\n    <blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cPutin claims that Ukrainians, as \u2018Little Russians,\u2019 are one people with Russians through a thousand-year shared history,\u201d Drost said. \u201cHe uses his version of the past to argue that much of Ukraine is supposedly historical Russian territory and that Ukraine has no right to exist as a sovereign state.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n   <p>According to the researcher, history has become a central component of the Kremlin\u2019s political messaging. By presenting a simplified and selective historical narrative, Putin seeks to legitimize Russian actions and shape perceptions among audiences that may have limited knowledge of Eastern European history.<\/p>\n    <blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cHistory is a powerful weapon,\u201d Drost said. \u201cPutin uses it to mobilize Russian society and create a persuasive narrative for foreign audiences unfamiliar with the region\u2019s past.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n   <p>He pointed to Putin\u2019s widely discussed interview with Tucker Carlson, during which the Russian leader spent a significant portion of the conversation outlining his historical interpretation of relations between Russia and Ukraine. Drost noted that such arguments can appear convincing to Western audiences that lack deeper historical context.<\/p>\n   <p>The expert emphasized that understanding the Kremlin\u2019s use of history does not mean accepting or legitimizing it. Rather, he argued, understanding these narratives is necessary to effectively counter them.<\/p>\n    <blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWe must understand how Putin distorts history and uses it as a weapon,\u201d Drost said. \u201cUnderstanding is not justification. Without understanding, it is impossible to respond effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n   <p>According to him, Putin\u2019s rhetoric evolved over time\u2014from speaking about the \u201ccloseness\u201d of Ukrainians and Russians to claiming they are \u201cone people.\u201d These narratives became particularly prominent after Russia\u2019s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and have since become a cornerstone of the Kremlin\u2019s justification for the war.<\/p>\n   <p>Drost also warned that Europe faces not only military threats from Russia but a broader campaign of hybrid warfare, including propaganda, disinformation, influence operations, and sabotage activities.<\/p>\n    <blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cPutin very pragmatically exploits the weaknesses of others,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is why understanding his intentions is critically important for making the right decisions and countering them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n   <p>The researcher argued that many countries in Eastern Europe recognized the dangers posed by Russian revisionism long before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while parts of Western Europe underestimated the seriousness of Putin\u2019s intentions.<\/p>\n   <p>He stressed that the historical experiences of countries such as Poland and other states on NATO\u2019s eastern flank offer important lessons for understanding contemporary Russian policy. Drost specifically referenced comments by Polish Foreign Minister Rados\u0142aw Sikorski on the importance of historical memory in assessing Russia\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n   <p>The comments were made during a security conference in The Hague, where discussions focused on European security challenges and the role of younger generations in shaping future responses to geopolitical threats.<\/p>\n   <p><strong>Read also:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/russia-uses-drones-to-pressure-nato-and-test-the-alliance-s-air-defenses-zelenskyy\/\">Russia Uses Drones to Pressure NATO and Test the Alliance\u2019s Air Defenses, \u2014 Zelenskyy<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin has systematically turned his own interpretation of history &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1274527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,49,36415,53,36422,50],"tags":[76,78,72930],"sources":[],"class_list":["post-1380055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-news-en","category-11473-news-en","category-russia-en","category-11473-news-en-3","category-svit-en","tag-glavnoe-en","tag-homepage-en","tag-russian-disinformation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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