Zakharova mocks Kyiv: "Has the Kyiv regime abandoned Ukrainians? Have they now become Rus?"

Remarks by former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk about the possibility of changing Ukraine’s name to "Rus" have sparked widespread reaction after he proposed adopting the name on the grounds that it is linked to the history of "Kyivan Rus."

In a pointed comment, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mocked the idea, asking: "Has the Kyiv regime abandoned Ukrainians? Have they now become Rus?"

Zakharova’s response came after Tarasyuk said that calling the country "Rus" could be a proposal under consideration if the official name were to be changed, citing the historical legacy of the medieval entity of "Kyivan Rus."

The debate over the name has once again cast a spotlight on the historical and symbolic struggle between Moscow and Kyiv over the historical legacy and identity associated with the name "Rus," amid continuing political tensions between the two countries.