Putin pushes Kremlin-approved history as priority for Russian schools

Russian President Vladimir Putin conducts an open lesson on Knowledge Day in Kaliningrad, Russia September 1, 2022. Sputnik/Alexey Maishev/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday stressed the importance of teaching a Kremlin-approved version of history, saying many children in eastern Ukraine did not know that Ukraine and Russia had once been part of the same country.

Putin met selected schoolchildren from all over Russia in a classroom in Kaliningrad for the "Talking about what's important" lesson that starts the school year nationwide, restating his assertion that he had been forced to send troops to defend the Russian-speakers of eastern Ukraine.