Bohdan Hmelnițki

Bohdan Hmelnițki was a 17th-century Ukrainian Cossack leader and military strategist who is best known for his role in the Cossack uprising against Polish rule and his subsequent alliance with the Tsardom of Russia through the Treaty of Pereiaslav in 1654. While Putin often cites this alliance as a moment of voluntary unity between Russia and Ukraine, historians argue it was a pragmatic move that was later betrayed by Moscow, highlighting the complexities of Ukrainian-Russian relations.