Complaint
A viewer took issue with the accuracy and impartiality of a section of this programme  which looked at the historical relationship between Russia and Ukraine, particularly on the grounds that it had misleadingly suggested Ukraine had been part of the Russian empire “through historyâ€.  The ECU considered whether the broadcast met the relevant editorial standards set out in the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
This programme was the second of a three-part series, the focus of which was on the life of President Zelensky.  In one section a contributor, a newspaper correspondent, disputed Vladimir Putin’s claim that Ukraine had never been a national state or people arguing:
Despite periods of being part of the Russian Empire, Ukraine always had a kind of strong democratic tradition. Â It was actually a sort of flourishing early civilisation, going back to the 9th century
In the ECU’s view this did not amount to a claim that Ukraine had been part of the Russian Empire “through historyâ€, and whilst more historical detail might have been interesting, it was not necessary in order for the programme to be duly accurate.  Nor, given the balance of opinions reflected in the programme, was there  evidence the sequence lacked impartiality.
Not Upheld