Zelensky: “Let’s change the name of Russia to Muscovy”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky is considering changing Russia’s name to ‘Moscow’, Ukrainska Pravda reported. The idea comes from an online petition which has already reached 25,000 signatures and which explains how “this name was used in European languages and some Asian languages”, adding that “many historical maps of the 16th-19th centuries, made in Europe before and after the renaming of the Moscow kingdom into the All-Russian Empire, they also bore this name”. “The issue raised in the petition requires careful consideration both in terms of the historical and cultural context, and taking into account the possible international legal consequences”, added Zelensky who appointed Prime Minister Denys Shmygal to follow the case. The response from Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, arrived shortly after, speaking on Telegram of yet another demonstration of the ‘anti-Russian’ campaign underway in Ukraine. According to RIA Novosti, the deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma, Boris Chernyshov, also commented on the petition arguing that “initiatives like this can only be treated with a smile”.