Editor’s Note:

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu has ordered that President Putin’s new article “On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians” be mandatory study for military-political training of Russian Army soldiers. Putin, who turns 70 next year, may pass from the scene in 10 or 15 years. But if a new generation of Russian military men and women are to be inculcated with his warped, hyper nationalist view of Russia-Ukraine relations, his 7,000 word essay is worth reading. With Best Regards Jim Brooke