Since President Putin announced the Special Military Operation (SMO) in Ukraine on February 24, the symbols like “Z” and “V” became the content of speculation across the western mainstream media. On the battlefront these symbols can be well-seen painted on the Russian ammunition vehicles and tanks. Many commentators in the west even attempted to debunk these symbols on the conspiracy grounds that furthered dragged the attention of the ordinary masses around the globe. For instance, some commentators deemed the symbol “Z” as the beginning of world war Z while others called it ‘Ground zero”. However, none of these commentators were able to clearly debunk these sacred symbols, which Russia has deliberately chosen for its Special Military Operation in Ukraine.
Across the geopolitical and metaphysical domain, the letter “Z” and “V” have sanctified significance. From the ontological lens of Eurasianism, the symbol “Z” resembles an epic battle between the Behemoth and Leviathan, which is significant both in the geopolitical and spiritual domain. Furthermore, in the Eurasianists view, Russia is fighting to protect and purify its soul in Ukraine from the menace of western intruders.
Both geopolitically and metaphysically, Russia is obliged to fight to protect its centuries old heritage from the foreign invaders such as NATO and European Union. Historically, it is a deep-rooted fact that Ukraine has been one of the key factors in determining the social, cultural and geopolitical identity of the Great Russia whether it was during the time of imperial Russia or Soviet Union.
Even famous American geopolitician and war architect, Zbigniew Brzezinski in his books such as the “The Grand Chessboard” and “Strategic Vision” declared Ukraine as an important geopolitical space in the great Eurasian chessboard. According to Brzezinski, Ukraine is an “important space on the Eurasian chessboard”, the control of which is supposed to make a domination over the world possible. He further writes, Russia without Ukraine is just a regional power with a limited geopolitical influence both in Asia and Europe. However, if the Russia grow to be successful in establishing its hold in Ukraine, then Russia’s domination of the world island will become impregnable.
On the contrary, even famed geopolitical authors such as Robert D. Kaplan and Tim Marshall in their well-celebrated books “The Revenge of Geography” and “The Prisoners of Geography” acknowledged the geopolitical and strategic significance of Ukraine on the Eurasian plain. For Kaplan for the sustainable geopolitical, geo-economic and strategic significance of Russia, Ukraine is like a lifeline because Russian heart cannot beat without Ukraine. Hence, by emphasizing the significance Kaplan believes that Ukraine can never be entirely independent of Russia because of tactical geographic location.
Likewise, in his book “The Prisoners of Geography” journalist and author Tim Marshall writes “Geography has always been a prison of sorts – one that defines what a nation is or can be, and one from which our world leaders have often struggled to break free.” This quotes clearly explains the Russian geopolitical position because since 2007, Russian president Vladimir Putin has been warning its western counterparts to take the Russia’s security concerns seriously. Unfortunately, his warnings fell into deaf ears and the ongoing situation in Ukraine is the result of elongated distrust that brewed over the course of decades.
On the wake of Russian Special Miliary Operation in Ukraine, the western mainstream media, government and civil society took a superficial position for isolating Russia across the political, diplomatic, economic and cultural spheres. The Russophobia was just a theory prior to the SMO that has become a regular practice across the western political and cultural circles and continues to this day. The so-called Cancel-Culture (CC) which emerged as the by-product of the western mainstream media in 2016 targeted the Russian culture and attempted to cancel it in every sphere. For instance, the termination of Dostoevsky centers across the European universities is just one example.
Chronologically, to understand the sanctity of the symbols “Z” and “X” we must define them across the social, cultural, metaphysical, civilizational and geopolitical spheres. To be precise, the word ‘Z” resembles the liberation of the Russian civilization and the assertion of its great roots in the Eurasian civilization. By using symbol “Z”, Russia regenerates its lost Eurasian heritage and its reaffirms its central position in the great Eurasian zone. Hence, the word “Z” openly profess Russia is Eurasia and Eurasia is Russia—thus the soul and distinctiveness of Eurasia must be protected at all cost.