Historically, both Russia and Ukraine have individually claimed that the Kievan Rus, an ancient federation which occupied an area in Ukraine, was the seat of their cultural ancestors. The signing of the Pereyaslav Treaty in 1654 submitted Ukraine to Russian rule, an act now condemned by Ukrainian nationalists as an act of betrayal, but at the same time hailed by the Russians as the beginnings of an unending interdependence between Russia and Ukraine. The 1954 transfer of Crimea from Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian SSR was in line with the 300-year anniversary of the Pereyaslav Treaty. Today, many Russians do believe Ukraine to be part of Russia. While starting a war in Crimea may be a way for Putin to boost his domestic approval ratings, his comments on Ukraine as "an artificial country" are reflective of the opinion of many Russians. As seen, the writer has omitted the wider historical context of Ukraine-Russian relations in his discussion, and oversimplified Russian politics by pinning the bulk of the blame on Putin for starting the recent war on Crimea. .
The writer has also failed to mention the conflicted identity of the Ukrainians, with East Ukrainians more inclined towards Russia, and Western Ukraine towards the West. This was in part initiated by the historical separation of Ukraine between the Austrian Empire in the West and Russia in the East in the 18th century. A proportion of the population support strengthening relations with Russia, and some approved Russia's occupation of Crimea, including Russian nationalists in Ukraine. Although it is the writer's belief that the majority of Ukrainians oppose Russian occupation, the Ukrainian proponents of the occupation was not properly mentioned in the article, limiting the article's viewpoint and balance of views. .
On Poland's involvement in the Ukraine crisis, the writer quoted Sikorski's claim that Russia was attempting to collaborate with Poland in partitioning Ukraine.