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There was ‘no Ukraine in history’ before creation of Soviet Ukraine, Putin says

It is noted that it was the Soviet government that created the Soviet Ukraine, that is a well-known fact

MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Ukraine did not even exist before the emergence of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with Chairman of the Russian Constitutional Court Valery Zorkin.

Zorkin brought the Russian president a map, drawn in the 17th century in France, depicting areas that were included in the Tsardom of Russia, Rzeczpospolita and other states, and underscored that Ukraine could not be found on this map.

"It was the Soviet government that created the Soviet Ukraine, that is a well-known fact. And there was no Ukraine in human history before that," the head of state said in response.

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