Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev unveiled a map proposing the partition of much of Ukraine among its neighbors during a speech on Monday. Standing in front of his map, the Russian politician and ally of President Vladimir Putin declared that Ukraine is historically part of the Russian state.
“Our geostrategic space has been indivisible since the time of the ancient Russian state,” Medvedev, currently serving as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said. He added: “This concept must disappear forever. Ukraine is definitely Russia.”
The map shows Russia’s territory expanded to comprise almost all of Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions, including its entire Black Sea coast. Poland and Romania would each receive territory in Western Ukraine. The latter would receive the Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi Oblasts to act as a buffer between Poland, a NATO member, and Russia. Medvedev’s map reduces Ukraine to just Kiev and its surrounding suburbs.
Historic parts of the country need to come home,” Medvedev explained, continuing: “All our adversaries need to understand once and for all a simple fact: that the territories on both banks of the Dnipro River are an integral part of Russia’s strategic and historical borders.”
Russia’s military has recently seen a degree of success with renewed efforts to push further into Eastern Ukraine. Two weeks ago, Russian forces captured the city of Avdeyevka, located to the northwest of Donetsk. Currently, the Russian military only controls a fraction of the territory Medvedev believes should be ceded to his country.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron refused to rule out the possibility of the Western nations putting troops on the ground in Ukraine. These comments, along with continued efforts to supply military equipment to the Ukrainian army, prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to warn he’d consider the use of nuclear weapons if NATO commits troops to the conflict.
We have now reached the point in Russia’s invasion where former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev feels confident enough to dress up as Mini-Me and declare that Ukraine must be wiped off the map. Western fear of escalation inevitably leads to Russian escalation pic.twitter.com/2IgShvfcjF
— Business Ukraine mag (@Biz_Ukraine_Mag) March 4, 2024
