Very different thing. Poland was a separate culture, state and nationality for several centuries. But 1000 years ago the Poles and Czechs were so closely related that border was fluid and they could have become one nation. But they differentiated and went separate ways.
The Ukrainians as a separate nation started to differentiate in XIX century not without Austrian/German involvement. Ukrainian statehood was created by the Soviets who wanted to divide and rule and so called Eastern Ukraine which is ethnically Russian was joined to make the new state more viable.
Of course there were regional differences for the whole history of Rus so the Ukrainians/Malorusy were real subgroup. What is wrong is to falsify history of Rus and creating a myth of evil Muscovy enslaving the noble Ukraine. It is wrong to project XIX/XXc ambitions into remote past.
It is very unhealthy and poisonous to create false past. Americans became a separate nation from the British, but they do not deny their English roots and culture. They know that their nation was born at the end of XVIII century and they do not need to butress their identity by lies and denigration of the English nation. Opposite - they are proud of their origin!
"The Ukrainians as a separate nation started to differentiate in XIX century not without Austrian/German involvement. Ukrainian statehood was created by the Soviets who wanted to divide and rule and so called Eastern Ukraine which is ethnically Russian was joined to make the new state more viable."
Spoken like a true Communist!
Its amazing that the Genocide Famine conveniently ended right at the Ruyssian/Ukrainian Border.
http://www.faminegenocide.com/resources/famine_map.html
Yes, with help like that from the Russians, who needs enemies.
Do Ukrainians deny their Rus origins? They only deny that they are "younger brothers of the Muscovite Rus". Do Poles deny their slavic origins? Does it mean that they should all bow and scrape to Moscow?