Depending on the post, I either read that Ukrainians and Russians are of the same cloth, or I read that Russians view Ukrainians as sub-human.
I doubt both are true in Russian messaging and decision making. I do accept that the Russian nationalist-fascist contingent view Ukraine as part of Imperial Russia
If my understanding is correct, ethnic Ukrainians are not regarded as different than other ethnic minorities in "Greater Russia". Kiev is regarded as the 'mother city'. Russians in Ukraine who are ethnic Russian are regarded as Russians, unless they ally themselves with the 'Nazi' elements, i.e. non-Russian Ukrainian.
To complete the picture, the Russian leaders tend to see 'the Ukraine' as an integral part of Russia. Historically ethnic Russians have tended to see minorities as useful serfs, menial workers, or common soldiers.
n my opinion the easiest analogue for the western world is to consider how slaves were viewed in the mid-19th century by the slave-holding class. In essence that is not exactly sub-human but certainly is inferior and unsuited for any important governmental role. The core principle to understand is that Russia has never stopped being a feudal society, nor has it stopped thinking in terms nearly identical to western colonial terms of the 19th century.
In short, one never, ever, should make the fundamental error in imagining that Russia really is in any respect 'modern' despite possessing technologies that are sometimes very modern and having a small segment of society that seems very modern and western. All that was true at the time of Peter the Great, as a visit to Saint Petersburg can show, and as central Moscow seemed to be ten years ago. It still is as it was, and Westerners keep being just as confused about it as they were in the 18th century.
Now we really to be understanding the "One China" policy in all its ambiguity, furthered by desires to ameliorate commercial Chinese relationships. This is now almost inextricably linked to The Russia Ukraine conflict because the two cases are similar in some ways and both now are becoming fraught.
If there is any chance to avoid catastrophe it will require mature and dispassionate understanding of both Russia and China. Personally I am not optimistic.
My first commercial dealings with China were in 1978 with a Middle Eastern bank I ran established formal correspondent with the Bank of China. My Russia experience came a bit earlier when I was in Iran and dealt with Russians on commercial matters. I learned a great deal then and afterwards, just enough to understand that we are in uncharted waters led primarily with people who have minimal understand. Again, I claim only to understand enough to realize the odds are increasing for unpleasant solutions. The primary protagonists right now seem to be around my age. That is terrible news! Old people have rigid thinking. China, Russia and the US leaders are thinking of the world as it was.
