There is no Ukraine but “Ukrainianism”, a specific disorder of the mind. Surprisingly, the passion for ethnography is brought to extreme degrees. Such a bloody local history. Muddle instead of the state. There are Borscht, [Stepan] Bandera, there is the bandura. But there is no nation. There is a brochure “Independent Ukraine”, but there is no Ukraine. The only question is, has Ukraine already gone, or has it not yet emerged?
Ukraine has not yet emerged. But over time, it will appear. Ukrainians are stubborn guys, they will carry it out. However, what kind of Ukraine will it be, in what borders will it exist, and even, maybe, how many Ukraines there will be is an open question. And one way or another, Russia will have to participate in resolving these issues.
Relations with Ukraine were never simple, even when Ukraine was part of Russia. Ukraine has always been troublesome for the imperial and Soviet bureaucracy. Coercion by force to fraternal relations is the only method that has historically proven effective in the Ukrainian direction.