Putin's disputed narrative on Ukraine and WWII in interview: Experts weigh in

The interview between Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin incensed many and created ripples in international public discourse. Many flawed hypotheses and distortions were put forth during the conversation, which subject-matter experts promptly debunked. They remain certain that Putin's deceptions primarily aimed to vindicate Russian antagonism towards Ukraine.

Misrepresentations cropped up from the start of the exchange, when Putin led Carlson into a discussion regarding the historical beginnings of Russia. He stressed that the nation he presides over was constituted in 862. He juxtaposed the historical lineage of his country, tracing back to the 11th century, against what he perceives as the "contemporary invention" of Ukraine.

He alleged that Ukraine was "established solely in the 20th century". Sergey Radchenko, a historian with Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, categorically rebuffed his claim, labelling it a "complete falsehood".

"Vladimir Putin is attempting to weave a revisionist narrative, asserting that Russia as a state commenced its progression in the 9th century. You could just as well argue that the development of Ukraine as a state also began in the 9th century, using precisely the same kind of substantiation and documentation," the historian put forth.

Further along his address, Putin averred that "Ukraine is a contrived state, which was formed according to Stalin's whims". He posited that Ukraine was fabricated by Soviet leaders in the 1920s and was bequeathed land to which it held no historical entitlement.

Professor Radchenko, as cited by the BBC, somewhat concurs with this aspect of Putin's fulminations. He agreed that the Soviets designated the boundaries arbitrarily. However, he stressed this doesn't imply that arguing that "Ukrainians did not exist" holds validity.

Radchenko disputes Putin's assertion that Ukraine isn't a legitimate nation because its modern incarnation was instituted in the 20th century. From his vantage point, this kind of perspective can be used unjustly to disprove the legitimacy of any nation, as they invariably arise as an outcome of a "historical process".

He highlighted how Russia annexed Siberia following its czars' decree, accomplished at the cost of the indigenous population.

If Ukraine is an illegitimate nation, then by the same logic, so is Russia, the historian concluded.

Experts also took issue with the falsehoods about Poland propagated by Putin. Among his claims were those suggesting Poland, a nation attacked by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, "colluded with Hitler". Adding to this, Putin insinuated that it was Poland that goaded Hitler into initiating World War II by refusing to surrender Gdansk

Professor Prazmowska, quoted by the BBC, maintains that Putin misinterprets the diplomatic relations between Poland and Nazi-controlled Germany as "collaboration". She also reminded people that the Soviet Union upheld exactly the same relations with Germany at that time.