For decades, Ukraine has struggled with Russian political, economic, and cultural influence, and the effects of this struggle are still being felt today. The deep divisions within Ukraine, the corruption, and even the early failures in the war against Russia can all be traced back to a long history of Russian interference. It wasn’t just about shared language or culture—this was a deliberate effort by Russia to keep Ukraine weak, divided, and dependent. 

The process of Russification in Ukraine wasn’t just some organic blending of cultures—it was a systematic effort by the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union to erase Ukrainian identity. Generations of Ukrainians, especially in the east and south, grew up in Russian-speaking environments, went to Russian-language schools, and consumed Russian media. Over time, many of these people stopped identifying as Ukrainian in any meaningful sense. They weren’t necessarily traitors or pro-Russian activists, but when the time came to define Ukraine as an independent nation, these communities became a serious roadblock.  

Ukraine could never fully establish a unified national character because large parts of the population had been conditioned to see Russia as their cultural and political home. This isn’t some conspiracy theory—this is the reality of imperialism. A nation that has been culturally eroded for centuries doesn’t just snap back to independence overnight.  

Beyond the cultural aspect, Russia actively worked to destabilize Ukraine politically and economically. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine struggled to build functioning institutions, and corruption was rampant. But it wasn’t just "Ukrainian corruption"—a lot of this corruption was tied directly to Russian money.  

For years, Russian-backed politicians, oligarchs, and intelligence operatives ran interference to keep Ukraine from aligning with the West. Take the **Party of Regions**, led by Viktor Yanukovych—one of the most blatantly pro-Russian presidents Ukraine ever had. His entire administration was geared toward keeping Ukraine in Russia’s orbit, rejecting EU integration, and suppressing opposition. When the Ukrainian people had enough and overthrew him in 2014, where did he run? Straight to Russia.  

It wasn’t just him. A whole network of Ukrainian oligarchs, politicians, and business elites had deep ties to Russian interests. They used their wealth and power to push Russian narratives, fund pro-Russian media, and block reforms that would have made Ukraine stronger. If something like this happened in the U.S.—if a congressman was caught taking money from China to promote Chinese propaganda—we’d call it treason. But in Ukraine, this kind of Russian infiltration was treated as just another political reality for decades.  

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, one of the biggest questions was: how did they take so much land so quickly, especially in the south? Unlike Kyiv or Kharkiv, where Ukrainian forces put up fierce resistance, cities like Kherson and Melitopol fell with barely a fight.  

There’s strong evidence that some Ukrainian military officers and security officials had been compromised long before the invasion. For example, Andriy Naumov, a top officer in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), fled the country just before the war started and was later arrested in Serbia. That’s not a coincidence.  

Russian forces met minimal resistance in the south, and within days, local pro-Russian officials were already cooperating with them. This suggests that the occupation wasn’t just a military success—it was an inside job.  

In the months after the invasion, President Zelensky fired multiple high-ranking officials for suspected collaboration with Russia. Ukraine has been tight-lipped about the full extent of these betrayals, but the sheer amount of land Russia took in the first weeks of the war suggests that some Ukrainian leaders helped them do it.  

Since 2022, Ukraine has been aggressively purging Russian influence from its institutions. Pro-Russian politicians have been exiled or arrested, Russian-linked businesses have been shut down, and Ukraine has pushed harder than ever to establish its own national identity. This isn’t just about getting rid of corruption—it’s about survival. The war exposed just how deep Russian influence ran in Ukraine, and if Ukraine wants to win, it has to cut out the rot completely.  

The idea that Ukraine is somehow unworthy of help because it was corrupt or unprepared for war ignores the bigger picture. Ukraine didn’t just struggle with corruption—it was actively sabotaged by Russian-backed forces for decades. If anything, the fact that Ukraine has been able to resist Russia at all, despite this history of infiltration and betrayal, is a testament to its resilience.  

This war isn’t just about territory—it’s about Ukraine finally breaking free from the long shadow of Russian control. And for the first time in a long time, it looks like they might actually do it.