Does Putin Have a Claim to Ukraine?

We have all heard Vladimir Putin’s repeated claims to Ukraine’s land. In his now-infamous essay, “On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” published in July 2021, Putin goes so far to deny Ukraine any claim to nationhood and makes his intentions to integrate Ukraine into Russia very clear.

It is now even more relevant to make this case for Ukrainian sovereignty, as pundits like Candace Owens, among others, have been swallowing Putin’s propaganda and proclaiming it to millions of keen listeners.