The London Evening Standard earlier this week drew attention to Putin’s false propaganda – defending the rights of Russian speakers to justify Russia’s invasion of Crimea.

In an article entitled “Freedom in Russian exists only in Ukraine”, the author of the piece, Timothy Snyder, focused on the fact that most Ukrainians are bilingual – speaking both Ukrainian and Russian – without thinking, while pointing out that it is Ukrainian citizens who are free to express themselves (in Russian) while native Russians are not.

Snyder referred to Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s speech at Maidan:

“Last weekend Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the most famous of Russia’s political prisoners, spoke to tens of thousands of Ukrainians on the main square in Kiev, the Maidan. Khodorkovsky told them what they already knew: that Ukrainian citizens from all walks of life, of all ethnicities, had suffered for and won their freedom in a revolution for dignity and decency. What language did Khodorkovsky speak in Kiev? Russian, of course, his native language, and a language most Ukrainians speak. Most Ukrainians are bilingual and many Ukrainians in Kiev speak Russian rather than Ukrainian at home.”

Reinforcing his point that there are no linguistic divisions in the Ukraine that required Moscow’s protection, Snyder claimed that it was Russian speakers in Russia who were the ones requiring help – as, in Russia, the authorities monopolised most mainstream newspapers, radio and television and have long been trying to attack Russia’s Internet freedom.  Calling into question the nature of the Crimean vote, he noted that it was “electoral theatre, a “referendum” in which there was no way to vote against union with Russia.” He summed up the outcome of “the referendum” with the joke that Crimea had turned away from Ukraine, “a country where people speak Russian”, to Russia, “a country where people stay quiet in Russian.”

Snyder concluded: “During his remarks, Khodorkovsky was interrupted by the masses on the Maidan. Ukrainians chanted over and over: “Glory to Russia! Glory to Russia! Glory to Russia!” and “Thank you, thank you, thank you”. They pronounced these words of respect to their Russian guest in the Russian language. Such Ukrainians represent Putin’s real Ukrainian problem: free people who speak freely in Russian, and might set an example one day for Russians themselves.”