The Russian government’s rationale for the war in Ukraine is not about oil, coal, or natural resources. It is about asserting specious historical claims. However, It is important to understand the history of Rus to place this conflict in its proper historical context.

Written by Christian Raffensperger. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/kyiv-rus-ukraine-russia.