What I meant was not that i subscribe to that Russian nationalist talking point, of course i understand that there are real material causes for such conflicts, i simply meant that I can understand why some Russians would think that way.

And yes the Mongols comment was meant as a joke, i’m sorry if it came across as offensive. I would however argue that Russia did indeed exist at that time already, it had already existed as an ethno-cultural-religious if not always politically united entity since the time of the Rurikids and the Kievan Rus.

Just because it was disunited and fractured does not mean it was not still Russia. Russia was also disunited when the Polish invaded during the Time of Troubles. China was also at various times in its history fractured, disunited and infighting, but it was still China.

Anyway this is a mostly pedantic/academic disagreement and i don’t want to get too far off topic.