Former Ukrainian foreign minister Tarasiuk proposes renaming the country “Rus”

Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk has proposed giving Ukraine the name “Rus,” claiming it is the country’s “original name” that was “stolen” by the Muscovite Tsardom under Peter I.

He made the statement in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

The remark was prompted by a recollection of the situation with Macedonia, from which Greece demanded a name change as a condition for joining the European Union. Tarasiuk drew a parallel with Ukraine, noting that if a similar demand were made of Kyiv, he would propose exactly that option.

“No one is demanding that we change our name. Although, if they were, I would propose the name Rus, since that is our original name, which was effectively stolen by the Muscovite Tsardom under Peter I,” Tarasiuk said.

At the same time, as the publication notes, the former minister did not explain what his historical hypotheses are based on.

Tarasiuk is not the first Ukrainian official to appeal to such a concept. In May, the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, also stated that Ukraine is “Rus” and that it should “rule over all of them,” accusing Russians of “stealing” Ukrainian history. In 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Ukraine “the only legitimate heir of Kyivan Rus.”