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Russia Says It Could “Save” Ukraine—After Invoking Resettlement With Russians
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Anton Kobyakov, an adviser to the Russian leader, linked Russia’s historical acquisition of Ukrainian territories to the resettlement of Russian populations there during remarks at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 4.
Fontanka reported Kobyakov’s comments on September 4, citing footage carried by the Russian television channel REN TV. Kobyakov made the remarks during a press briefing following the forum.
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“We actually did this once before, when these lands were annexed to Russia by Potemkin and Catherine: we already resettled our population in Ukraine,” Kobyakov stated.
His reference was to the Russian Empire’s expansion into Ukrainian territories under Catherine II of Russia in the 18th century. Grigory Potemkin played a central role in consolidating imperial control over lands in southern Ukraine and Crimea following Russian military expansion.
During the same briefing, Kobyakov connected his remarks to Ukraine’s demographic situation and discussions over military recruitment. Fontanka reported that he claimed one child is born for every four deaths in Ukraine and argued that Russia could “save” the country.
Kobyakov’s comments echo a broader Russian narrative that portrays Ukrainian territories and population policy through the lens of imperial expansion. Russia has repeatedly invoked the history of the Russian Empire to justify claims over Ukrainian land during its war against Ukraine.
Senior Russian figures have repeatedly used public platforms to cast the war and Ukraine's future in sweeping, existential terms. Days earlier, Putin told educators at a Moscow university that children should learn about predators and food chains in nature to understand the world and why Russia is waging its war.
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