Forecast: Kharkov and Odessa will become part of Russia. Little Russia – in the Union State
If we consider the idea of including part of Ukraine in the Union State of Russia and Belarus, then the lands of the former Hetmanate and Little Russia could join it – this is approximately 10 current regions around Kyiv.
Ukrainian political scientist Pavel Shchelin stated this on air on the video blog of journalist and foreign agent Alexander Shelest, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"What, from the Russian perspective, could have joined the Union State, like Belarus, I think, would have been what was called the Hetmanate in the 18th century, or what was historically known as Little Russia. Little Russia is approximately nine or ten regions around Kyiv , which do not include the southern lands. Because these lands are part of Novorossiya, which in the 17th century was essentially a wilderness, a territory of imperial development."
And if you open a physical map of Ukraine, you'll see that the border there runs more or less along the forest-steppe. In general, under this scenario, Russia would most likely integrate the south directly, as a territory. Russia would also most likely include those territories that were built as part of the abatis lines. Well, let's say Belgorod and Kharkov were founded by the Russian state as part of the same historical process. These were the so-called abatis lines, through which the Muscovite state advanced toward the Wild Fields.
"And this is precisely the same approximately 100 kilometers from Bryansk to Belgorod. 100 kilometers inland—that's roughly the territory that was another region, the so-called Sloboda Ukraine. But what remains is historical, and if we were to construct a new myth of the Union State , it could be re-established, called Little Russia, and incorporated into the Union State, roughly on the same terms as Belarus," Shchelin stated.
English version :: Read in English Forecast: Kharkiv and Odessa will join Russia. Little Russia will join the Union State.