‘Lenin was an enemy of humanity’: Why Kyiv wants to put Cossack chief statue in place of Soviet leader

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/30/ukraine-kyiv-replace-lenin-statue-with-cossack-chief-ivan-mazepa

After winning independence in 1991, Ukraine removed large numbers of Soviet-era statues and renamed streets as part of “decommunisation”. The process sped up in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea and fighting began in the Donbas, and moved even faster after Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale invasion that aimed to scrub Ukraine from Europe’s map.

Nataliia Kryvda, a professor of the history of culture at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, said Ukraine was going through an unfinished period of decolonisation. “The USSR absorbed national cultures. It tried to make a single nation of Soviet citizens. Russia today looks at Ukraine and says we are one people. It isn’t true. We have our own mindset, historical destiny, beliefs and dreams. Our identity is a dynamic process,” she said.

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Nice deflection. You first claimed that Zelensky praised a genocidal colonial power and compared it to his country because he needs Israeli support to fight Russia. In response, I provided statements showing he made similar unacceptable remarks well before the Russian invasion. I also explained how Israel is not even helping Ukraine, have zero sanctions and after an initial post-invasion dip in 2022 and 2023, trade between Russia and Israel rebounded strongly and they voted against a UN resolution that condemned the Russian invasion. To deflect from the truth, you simply called my arguments gibberish and nonsensical

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You will not fool me with your bullshit. Your argument was that Zelensky expressed support for israel because he has no choice after russia invaded. My arguments show that he supporter israel before the invasion.

It is not simply about ’nice things.’ It is an attempt to reverse reality he is claiming that Israel, which wants to exterminate Palestinians and is currently doing the process , is the victim and risk extermination while he claims Palestinians are the aggressors, and comparing Palestinians to Russia. In reality, Russia is like Israel, and Ukraine is like Palestine. If you have proof that Zelensky no longer believe what he said show it to me and yes someone who defend Zelensky lies about Palestine do not care about Palestine

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We are going in circles because you keep trying to deflect from the truth

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It is not sbout winning an argument . It is sbout opposing support for genocidal states

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Fuck off Israeli colonialism supporter

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yes you are scum

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put those stars in your mother asshole

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