FRIDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2022, 20:07
Russian president Vladimir Putin has once again been repeating his false assertion that Russia created modern Ukraine and that Ukraine has been trying to “eradicate the historical consciousness” of the residents of Russian-occupied territories.
Source: Putin at a rally and concert held in Red Square on Friday evening to mark the unlawful annexation of Ukrainian territories
Quote: “It was Russia that created modern Ukraine by handing over historical territories of Russia’s, together with the population, who were not asked where or how they wanted to live, how they wanted to build their children’s future, or in which state. And the same thing happened when the Soviet Union collapsed. The elites decided everything amongst themselves without asking millions of ordinary citizens. And only now has modern Russia given people living in the Luhansk People’s Republic, Donetsk People’s Republic [the self-proclaimed Kremlin-aligned republics on territories of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts – ed.], Zaporizhzhia and Kherson the right to choose.”
Details: Putin referred to Zaporizhzhia as Russian-occupied territory twice, although it is not. Russia has succeeded in capturing only part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, but not the administrative centre.
“We will do all we can to support our brothers and sisters – in Zaporizhzhia, and in Kherson, and in Donetsk, and in Luhansk,” the president of the aggressor country said.
He assured Russians that in regards to the residents of Russian-occupied territories, for decades Ukraine “had tried to eradicate [their] historical consciousness, destroy their traditions, prohibit them from speaking their native language, and ban their culture”, but they had allegedly “carried their love for their historic homeland in their heart and passed it on to their children.”
Putin also told everyone a story about some people in Luhansk who had been queuing to “vote” in the Russian-arranged sham referendum a few days ago and had supposedly not left the queue even when a shell fell not far away from them. “Incredible,” he commented. At the same time, Putin did not provide any proof of this story or specify the exact location of this “event”.
The president of the aggressor country also called on everyone in Red Square to shout “Hurray!” three times in honour of the Russian occupiers who invaded Ukraine.
“To show our support, appreciation and recognition of their achievements, for their heroism and self-sacrifice, I propose sending them a signal of support, respect and admiration for their heroism and self-sacrifice from here,” Putin commanded. “I suggest that we do this loudly, so that they can hear three cheers thousands of kilometres away from Red Square. Take a deep breath and, at my command, on the count of three: one, two, three – Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!”
Previously: Earlier on Friday, Putin signed the “agreement on the accession to Russia” of the occupied Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and declared that henceforth, residents of these territories are citizens of the Russian Federation.
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