Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time on Friday publicly addressed pro-Russian rebels fighting in southeastern Ukraine, praising their “major success” inside Ukraine. The Kremlin released a late-night statement from Putin on its website in which he appealed to the militia of “Novorossyia,” or “New Russia.” It’s a term he has used before to describe the regions in eastern Ukraine where fighting has raged for months — a term that describes the area north of the Black Sea that was conquered by Russia in the late 18th century through peace treaties with the Cossack Hetmanate and the Ottoman Empire. …read more
Source: Business Insider
