Zelensky Orders Discussion on Renaming Russia to 'Moscovia'; Moscow Responds

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev has commented on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's directive to discuss renaming Russia to 'Moscovia' in Ukrainian. He reacted to this information on his Telegram channel.

In Medvedev's opinion, in this case, Ukraine should be renamed as the 'Schweinisch Bandera-Reich'.

“Well, what can you say in this case? Our response? Of course not 'Khokhlandiya' and certainly not 'Malorossiya', only 'Schweinisch Bandera-Reich. Exakt' (Швэйниш Бандера Райх, 'Pig Bandera Reich, just like that),” Medvedev wrote, referring to the Ukrainian President as the 'Supreme Nazi of Kyiv'.

As reported by gazeta.ru, the Ukrainian president is obligated to consider all petitions submitted on his official website that gather more than 25,000 votes. On November 23, the initiative to rename Russia to 'Moscovia' was supported by approximately 25,800 users.

The petition proposes replacing 'Russian Federation' with 'Moscovian Federation' in Ukrainian. According to the petition's initiator, Russia has 'usurped the history of Kievan Rus' under its current name, therefore, renaming the country on an international level would be an 'informational powerful step'.

In response from the Ukrainian President, it is stated that Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal has been instructed to explore this possibility, involving scientific institutions in the discussion. Zelensky has called for the issue to be developed 'in both the historical and cultural context, as well as considering potential international legal consequences'.

The name 'Moscovia' has been used in foreign sources to refer to Russian territory since the 16th-17th centuries.