Before Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power, in 1994, he referred to Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, and Northern Kazakhstan as inseparable parts of Russia. This was reported by Germany's famous Der Spiegel journalist, citing documents from the archives of the German Foreign Ministry.
According to the source, a note written by Germany's Consul General in St. Petersburg, Eberhard von Puttkamer, exists in the documents compiled in the first half of 1994. It quotes Putin as saying:
"Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, and Northern Kazakhstan—at least these territories—have never been foreign to Russia; they have always been an integral part of Russia. No Russian can understand how these lands became part of another state," the German diplomat quotes.
Putin also spoke about Russian national sentiments, stating that although Western countries labeled Russia's actions as a "return of imperialism," this was based on misinformation.
"This is simply Russia understanding its own interests from a different perspective, that's all. The West does not understand this," Putin said, according to the diplomat's notes.
It is worth noting that in 1994, Putin held important positions in the St. Petersburg city administration under Mayor Anatoly Sobchak. While Sobchak fostered close ties with the West, he accused the Ukrainian government of nationalism and emphasized that Crimea should belong to Russia.
For reference, Germany's former Consul General Eberhard von Puttkamer passed away in 2019.
The controversial statements allegedly made by Putin in 1994 were revealed for the first time in German diplomatic archives.
