Russia’s History of Invading Countries to “Protect Minorities”
Poland (1939)
USSR invaded eastern Poland claiming it needed to “protect Ukrainian and Belarusian minorities” after the Polish state “collapsed.”
Moldova – Transnistria (1992–present)
Russia sent troops claiming it had to “protect Russian speakers” in the Transnistria region.
Georgia – Abkhazia & South Ossetia (2008)
Russia invaded under the justification of “protecting Russian citizens” and people “threatened by Georgian forces.”
Moscow had handed out Russian passports beforehand.
Ukraine – Crimea (2014)
Russia occupied Crimea claiming it needed to “protect Russian speakers” and “defend Crimea from Ukrainian nationalists.”
Ukraine – Donbas (2014–2022)
Russia created and armed separatist groups claiming the local population needed “protection from Kyiv.”
Ukraine – Full-scale invasion (2022)
Putin declared the goal was to “defend the people of Donbas,” “protect Russian speakers,” and stop “genocide.”
Kazakhstan (2022 threat)
Russian officials, including Duma members, claimed Kazakhstan must be ready for “protection of Russians” in northern Kazakhstan.
Baltic States (continuous propaganda)
Kremlin repeatedly claims ethnic Russians in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are “oppressed” and may need Russian intervention. Russians killed or deported a large percentage of the exact population they'd previously claimed to "protect".
|