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Roots of the Rift: Ukraine, Russia and the History of Identity and Territory

Roots of the Rift: Ukraine, Russia and the History of Identity and Territory

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 This episode takes a clear-eyed deep dive into the complex history behind modern Ukraine’s borders—from the national cradle of Kievan Rus' claimed by three modern-day states, Viking invasions and imperial shifts to Soviet-era decisions—examining how competing historical narratives have shaped both Russia and Ukraine’s territorial claims and international responses. With negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine possibly imminent, we explore likely demands, legal and political obstacles, and look at where we might focus intentions and prayers to support what will likely be a very sensitive and difficult area for either side to reach compromise over. Suggested Intention Focus for this week This week, as the prospect for negotiating a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine edges closer, we suggest holding as our main intention: We will for wisdom for the facilitators of any forthcoming peace talks involving Russia and Ukraine, to be sensitive to the personalities and motivations of those present, while steering a course that may allow open and respectful discussion. Please join us in holding this. Prayers and intentions start at 26 minutes 40 seconds. Chapter markers: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:02 Recent Developments in Ukraine 00:03:41 Understanding Ukraine’s Complex History 00:09:11 The Breakup of the USSR 00:14:14 Russia’s Claim to Ukrainian Territory 00:17:55 Russia’s Territorial Demands in Negotiations 00:26:40 Intentions and Prayers Sources referenced in this episode: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181 https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lseih/2020/07/01/there-is-no-ukraine-fact-checking-the-kremlins-version-of-ukrainian-history/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Historical_Unity_of_Russians_and_Ukrainians https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Soviet_transition_in_Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia%E2%80%93Ukraine_relations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_War https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/ukraine/pre1914 https://kyivindependent.com/how-russia-steals-and-rewrites-ukrainian-history-to-justify-its-claims-in-ukraine/ https://kyivindependent.com/kyivan-rus-then-and-now/ https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-says-he-will-discuss-territory-with-putin-as-ukraine-signals-readiness-for-unconditional-peace-talks-with-russia/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/03/finding-insights-in-history-for-war-in-ukraine/ https://news.sky.com/story/trump-zelenskyy-putin-ukraine-latest-live-updates-12541713 https://news.sky.com/story/vladimir-putin-demands-key-parts-of-ukraine-in-exchange-for-peace-13413322 https://opir.weareukraine.info/ukrainian-statehood-in-1917-1921/ https://ppr.lse.ac.uk/articles/10.31389/lseppr.86 https://research.kent.ac.uk/emcentraleu/ukraine-chronology/ https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/GEOP/article/download/96493/4564456569584/4564456721219 https://theconversation.com/how-moscow-has-long-used-the-historic-kyivan-rus-state-to-justify-expansionism-178092 https://theconversation.com/trump-putin-summit-veteran-diplomat-explains-why-putting-peace-deal-before-ceasefire-wouldnt-end-russia-ukraine-war-263314 https://ukraineworld.org/en/articles/basics/ukraines-statehood-formation https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-16-2025 https://visitukraine.today/de/blog/1850/russias-crimes-with-a-thousand-year-history-how-muscovy-tried-to-appropriate-kyivan-rus https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/19/trump-proposes-putin-zelenskyy-summit-in-push-to-end-ukraine-war https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Russia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia https://daily.jstor.org/the-birth-of-the-soviet-union-and-the-death-of-the-russian-revolution/ https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia/History https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0q964851po https://www.britannica.com/summary/Ukraine https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-crossroads-europe-and-russia https://www.chathamhouse.org/2022/08/russias-longstanding-problem-ukraines-borders https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-putin-zelensky-ukraine-news-08-17-25 https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-war-ukraine-identity-history-and-conflict https://www.dw.com/en/russia-ukraine-war-which-possible-territorial-concessions-are-under-debate/a-73630386 https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2024/01/29/a-short-history-of-russia-and-ukraine https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/borders-in-the-post-soviet-region-unfinished-business-190265 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/russia-and-ukraine-the-tangled-history-that-connects-and-divides-them https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/would-ceding-territory-to-russia-actually-bring-lasting-peace-to-ukraine-experts-weigh-in https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/08/19/7526808/...
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