18th century Ukrainian independence

Its a fallacy to say that Russia from Peter The Great to Alexander I is an upwards curve, an inevitable tale of growth etc. There were substantial moments of weakness, wars that went the wrong way, revolts that were turned back at the last minute etc - in other words many PODs for alternate history

One of these revolves around Ukraine becoming independent (or resuming its independence if one would like to write a continuance between Kiev and the post-Mongol Golden Horde, Cossacks etc, all upholders of the Southern tradition).

The leader of Ukrainian resistance lodged a substantial amount of money with the Bank of England when his resistance was about to crash, with the proviso that it would be made available to the next independent Ukraine (I'm pretty sure that for obvious reasons of being on the other side of the war nothing was done in 1918, and in 1991 I think the BOE told them to fuck off, it wanted to keep them money coz it was a load of greedy bastards)

So, what if...

Ukraine achieves its independence in the mid 18th century...

- Obviously this hits the stability and power of the Muscovite Russians badly
- Does it encourage Poland (if its able), Sweden, the Ottoman Empire any ?
- Do other Russian vassals, eg Courland, break away ?

And longer term, what does this different map of Europe do ?

How stable and how powerful could Ukraine become in the 19th century ?


Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
Who'd run the Ukraine. Would it be a Cossack Hetmanate? a Monarchy? (which dynasty), or some kind of republic (rich merchants in Kiev?)???
 
Maybe with a different outcome in the Great Northern War, in which Russia is badly beaten by Sweden and the Ottomans. That could leave the Zaporozhian Cossacks in power over most of Ukraine, after repelling the treaty that made them vassals of the Russians.
 
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