[Minzoku] Are Russia and Ukraine Truly the Same Ethnic Group? [Roshiashi] #411

Are Russia and Ukraine really the same ethnic group?

Behind President Putin's claim in 2022 lies a complex history spanning over a thousand years. The personality notes that since the two countries were originally separate early states to begin with, even if their ethnicity were the same, changing the status quo by force cannot be justified.

Unraveling from the broader framework of Slavic peoples.

Slavic peoples distributed across Eastern Europe are divided into three groups: East Slavic, West Slavic, and South Slavic. It is fascinating to learn that their homeland is considered to be the area from western Ukraine to eastern Poland, from which they expanded starting around the 7th century, originating in the Dnieper River basin.

Countries classified as East Slavic emerge.

Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus belong to the East Slavic group. On the other hand, Poland and the Czech Republic are classified as West Slavic, while Serbia and others fall into the South Slavic group, and these countries share a certain commonality.

What is the surprising commonality seen in national flags?

The conversation goes even deeper, but please listen to the main episode to find out more.