Deprivation of Agency

Aggressors may deliberately deny an Indigenous people the right to independent political, legal, and historical existence. At the ideological level, this manifests in the dissemination of narratives about the colonized society's lack of agency, which serves the legitimization of domination. At the diplomatic and administrative level, the technique is implemented through the unilateral abolition of sovereignty, the annulment or rewriting of previously concluded international treaties, and the shift of relations from equal footing to a format of direct diktat, which ensures the institutional seizure of governance and the legal consolidation of the occupation.

ID: T0008
Sub-techniques:  No sub-techniques
Peoples: Nokhchi (Chechens), Ukrainians
Version: 1.0
Created: 21 April 2026
Last Modified: 21 April 2026

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
C0009 "Eternal Peace" with Poland (1686)

The complete exclusion of the autonomy from participation in international negotiations about the status of its own territories. In the legal partition of Ukrainian lands, the opinion of the people themselves was ignored: "For Mazepa and all Ukrainians this was a colossal humiliation"[1][2].

C0067 All-Russian Census and the Erasure of Identity (1897)

Use of the population census as an instrument for depriving the Ukrainian nation of the right to independent historical and political existence[3].

C0017 Construction of Saint Petersburg and the Ladoga Canal (1704–1725)

Transfer of Cossack regiments under the direct command of imperial officers and officials outside the Cossack hierarchy[4].

C1114 Deprivation of the Nokhchi of political agency and the imposition of alien governance (1614–1616)

The metropole deliberately ignored official complaints by the Indigenous population about the arbitrary conduct of the appointed rulers, depriving them of the right to protection: the compilers of academic document collections state that, as regards the petition submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, «the petition of the «Okochans» was not granted»[5].

S0009 Diplomacy

From the very beginning, Moscow laid an asymmetric foundation for the relationship, harshly cutting off the autonomy's international agency. Having satisfied the Cossacks' internal demands, Moscow categorically forbade them to conduct independent foreign affairs: "Tsar Alexei accepts the main demands — everything except an independent foreign policy"[1].

S0009 Diplomacy

The Tsardom of Muscovy physically and legally isolated the autonomy from participation in international politics, deciding the fate of the Cossack lands without regard for their national interests: "This is a true drama for Ukrainians: at the insistence of the Polish side, Ukrainians are not admitted to the negotiations"[1].

S0009 Diplomacy

In the legal partition of Ukrainian lands, the opinion of the people themselves or of their leaders was demonstratively ignored. The Hetmanate was treated exclusively as an object: "The interests of the hetmans and of Ukraine were, of course, not taken into account"[2].

S0009 Diplomacy

"In this provision of the articles, the tsarist government's aspiration to turn Ukraine into a region incorporated into the Russian state on ordinary terms was openly declared for the first time"[2].

S0009 Diplomacy

The complete exclusion of the autonomy from participation in international negotiations about the status of its own territories. In the legal partition of Ukrainian lands, the opinion of the people themselves was ignored: "For Mazepa and all Ukrainians this was a colossal humiliation"[1][2].

S0009 Diplomacy

The ultimatum-style refusal of the White Guard command (General Bredov) to recognize the Ukrainian army and statehood, accompanied by the statement that "Kyiv has never been Ukrainian and never will be"[6].

S0009 Diplomacy

De facto liquidation of the Ukrainian army (the disbandment of the Ukrainian Front) and the transformation of the government of the Ukrainian SSR into a nominal appendage of the Russian administrative machine[7].

S0009 Diplomacy

The union center enlisted US President George H. W. Bush, who during his visit to Kyiv publicly called for supporting M. Gorbachev and tried to dissuade Ukrainians from sovereignty, calling the aspiration to independence "suicidal nationalism"[8].

S0009 Diplomacy

Official denial of the Ukrainian nation's right to state independence: articles and speeches by the top leadership of the Russian Federation directly declare that true sovereignty for Ukraine is allegedly possible exclusively in partnership with Russia[1].

C0094 Diplomatic Blackmail (the "Chicken Kiev" Speech, August 1991)

The union center enlisted US President George H. W. Bush, who during his visit to Kyiv publicly called for supporting M. Gorbachev and tried to dissuade Ukrainians from sovereignty, calling the aspiration to independence "suicidal nationalism"[8].

S0008 Government

Liquidation of the statehood and international legal personality of the autonomy as a result of the defeat of the Swedish-Ukrainian forces: "From 1709 Ukraine loses its independence, its legal and international-law attributes, and therefore ceases to exist as a state"[9].

S0008 Government

Refusal to sign a treaty: replacement of an agreement between equals with unilateral "resolutions" (decrees) of the tsar[10][4].

S0008 Government

Rejection of the treaty format: "The Decisive Points were issued in the form of a decree of the tsarist government to the hetman... indicated the transformation of the Hetmanate into an ordinary province of the Russian Empire"[11].

S0008 Government

The final destruction of the office of the autonomy's leader. "On November 10, 1764, Catherine II abolished the hetman's rule"[12].

S0008 Government

Use of the population census as an instrument for depriving the Ukrainian nation of the right to independent historical and political existence[3].

C0102 Ideological Preparation for the Full-Scale Invasion (2020–2021)

Official denial of the Ukrainian nation's right to state independence: articles and speeches by the top leadership of the Russian Federation directly declare that true sovereignty for Ukraine is allegedly possible exclusively in partnership with Russia[1].

C0075 Institutional Absorption through a "Military-Political Union" (1919–1921)

De facto liquidation of the Ukrainian army (the disbandment of the Ukrainian Front) and the transformation of the government of the Ukrainian SSR into a nominal appendage of the Russian administrative machine[7].

C0007 Kolomak Articles (1687)

"In this provision of the articles, the tsarist government's aspiration to turn Ukraine into a region incorporated into the Russian state on ordinary terms was openly declared for the first time"[2].

C0030 Liquidation of the Institution of the Hetmancy and the Second Little Russian Collegium (1764)

The final destruction of the office of the autonomy's leader. "On November 10, 1764, Catherine II abolished the hetman's rule"[12].

S0012 Occupation and Controlled Administrations

The metropole deliberately ignored official complaints by the Indigenous population about the arbitrary conduct of the appointed rulers, depriving them of the right to protection: the compilers of academic document collections state that, as regards the petition submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, «the petition of the «Okochans» was not granted»[5].

C0001 Pereiaslav Council (1654)

From the very beginning, Moscow laid an asymmetric foundation for the relationship, harshly cutting off the autonomy's international agency. Having satisfied the Cossacks' internal demands, Moscow categorically forbade them to conduct independent foreign affairs: "Tsar Alexei accepts the main demands — everything except an independent foreign policy"[1].

S0010 Regular Army

Transfer of Cossack regiments under the direct command of imperial officers and officials outside the Cossack hierarchy[4].

G0009 Russian Empire

Rejection of the treaty format: "The Decisive Points were issued in the form of a decree of the tsarist government to the hetman... indicated the transformation of the Hetmanate into an ordinary province of the Russian Empire"[11].

G0009 Russian Empire

The final destruction of the office of the autonomy's leader. "On November 10, 1764, Catherine II abolished the hetman's rule"[12].

G0009 Russian Empire

Use of the population census as an instrument for depriving the Ukrainian nation of the right to independent historical and political existence[3].

G0011 Russian Federation

Official denial of the Ukrainian nation's right to state independence: articles and speeches by the top leadership of the Russian Federation directly declare that true sovereignty for Ukraine is allegedly possible exclusively in partnership with Russia[1].

C0074 Second Armed Invasion and Resource Depletion (1919)

The ultimatum-style refusal of the White Guard command (General Bredov) to recognize the Ukrainian army and statehood, accompanied by the statement that "Kyiv has never been Ukrainian and never will be"[6].

G0013 Soviet Russia (RSFSR)

De facto liquidation of the Ukrainian army (the disbandment of the Ukrainian Front) and the transformation of the government of the Ukrainian SSR into a nominal appendage of the Russian administrative machine[7].

C0015 The Battle of Poltava and the Final Defeat of the Hetmanate (1709)

Liquidation of the statehood and international legal personality of the autonomy as a result of the defeat of the Swedish-Ukrainian forces: "From 1709 Ukraine loses its independence, its legal and international-law attributes, and therefore ceases to exist as a state"[9].

C0028 The Decisive Points (1728)

Rejection of the treaty format: "The Decisive Points were issued in the form of a decree of the tsarist government to the hetman... indicated the transformation of the Hetmanate into an ordinary province of the Russian Empire"[11].

C0016 The Reshetylivka Articles (1709)

Refusal to sign a treaty: replacement of an agreement between equals with unilateral "resolutions" (decrees) of the tsar[10][4].

C0005 Truce of Andrusovo (1667)

In the legal partition of Ukrainian lands, the opinion of the people themselves or of their leaders was demonstratively ignored. The Hetmanate was treated exclusively as an object: "The interests of the hetmans and of Ukraine were, of course, not taken into account"[2].

C0002 Truce of Vilna (1656)

The Tsardom of Muscovy physically and legally isolated the autonomy from participation in international politics, deciding the fate of the Cossack lands without regard for their national interests: "This is a true drama for Ukrainians: at the insistence of the Polish side, Ukrainians are not admitted to the negotiations"[1].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

From the very beginning, Moscow laid an asymmetric foundation for the relationship, harshly cutting off the autonomy's international agency. Having satisfied the Cossacks' internal demands, Moscow categorically forbade them to conduct independent foreign affairs: "Tsar Alexei accepts the main demands — everything except an independent foreign policy"[1].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

The Tsardom of Muscovy physically and legally isolated the autonomy from participation in international politics, deciding the fate of the Cossack lands without regard for their national interests: "This is a true drama for Ukrainians: at the insistence of the Polish side, Ukrainians are not admitted to the negotiations"[1].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

In the legal partition of Ukrainian lands, the opinion of the people themselves or of their leaders was demonstratively ignored. The Hetmanate was treated exclusively as an object: "The interests of the hetmans and of Ukraine were, of course, not taken into account"[2].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

"In this provision of the articles, the tsarist government's aspiration to turn Ukraine into a region incorporated into the Russian state on ordinary terms was openly declared for the first time"[2].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

The complete exclusion of the autonomy from participation in international negotiations about the status of its own territories. In the legal partition of Ukrainian lands, the opinion of the people themselves was ignored: "For Mazepa and all Ukrainians this was a colossal humiliation"[1][2].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

Liquidation of the statehood and international legal personality of the autonomy as a result of the defeat of the Swedish-Ukrainian forces: "From 1709 Ukraine loses its independence, its legal and international-law attributes, and therefore ceases to exist as a state"[9].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

Refusal to sign a treaty: replacement of an agreement between equals with unilateral "resolutions" (decrees) of the tsar[10][4].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

Transfer of Cossack regiments under the direct command of imperial officers and officials outside the Cossack hierarchy[4].

G0008 Tsardom of Muscovy

The metropole deliberately ignored official complaints by the Indigenous population about the arbitrary conduct of the appointed rulers, depriving them of the right to protection: the compilers of academic document collections state that, as regards the petition submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, «the petition of the «Okochans» was not granted»[5].

G0010 USSR

The union center enlisted US President George H. W. Bush, who during his visit to Kyiv publicly called for supporting M. Gorbachev and tried to dissuade Ukrainians from sovereignty, calling the aspiration to independence "suicidal nationalism"[8].

G0014 White Movement (AFSR)

The ultimatum-style refusal of the White Guard command (General Bredov) to recognize the Ukrainian army and statehood, accompanied by the statement that "Kyiv has never been Ukrainian and never will be"[6].

References

  1. Михаил Зыгарь. (2023). Война и наказание: Как Россия уничтожала Украину.
  2. Татьяна Таирова-Яковлева. (2007). Мазепа.
  3. Вікіпедія. (2026). Русифікація України — Вікіпедія.
  4. Татьяна Таирова-Яковлева. (2011). ИВАН МАЗЕПА И РОССИЙСКАЯ ИМПЕРИЯ ИСТОРИЯ «ПРЕДАТЕЛЬСТВА».
  5. Кушева Е. Н.. (1957). Кабардино-русские отношения в XVI-XVIII вв. Документы и материалы. Том I.
  6. Єфіменко Г. Г., Кульчицький С. В., Пиріг Р. Я., Скальський В. В., Якубова Л. Д.. (2021). Україна й українці в постімперську добу (1917—1939).