Russia believed force could redraw the map of identity. Moscow imagined that Ukrainian identity was weak, artificial, or temporary. This misunderstanding of Ukrainian identity became the quiet beginning of Russia’s defeat. From the first week of the invasion, the Kremlin misread what makes a nation hold together, and that mistake changed the entire course of the war. The idea that Ukrainians would welcome Russian troops was not based on evidence. It was built on assumptions from Soviet memory, imperial nostalgia, and a belief that identity could be imposed on people like a new language textbook. That belief collided with reality … Continue reading Russia Lost the War the Day It Misread Ukrainian Identity