The 1686 Treaty of Perpetual Peace and the Russia Ukraine War
The 1686 Treaty of Perpetual Peace and the Russia Ukraine War By Robert Korczynski Poland and Russia have been fighting over Kiev and the Ukraine for well over 500 years, and it is impossible to address the current Russian Ukraine War without acknowledging that Russia literally bought Kiev and all of the lands to the east, and that they still have the bill of sale and the deed to the land. 882–1240: Kievan Rus' Prince Oleg establishes Kiev as the capital of the unified East Slavic state, Kievan Rus'. This is the foundation of the Russian historical claim. 1240: Mongol Invasion The Mongol Empire sacks Kiev, effectively ending the central authority of Kievan Rus' and fracturing the region into separate principalities. Early 1300s–1569: Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lithuania gradually incorporates Kiev and surrounding Ukrainian lands into its territory following the decline of Mongol influence. 1480s–1500s: Muscovite Claims Begin Grand Prince Ivan III of Moscow cl...