Wow, what a propaganda site considering the Soviet Union hasn't existed since 91.
Just to put the whole quotation:
Telegram, particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union, is ranked as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat. It aims to hit 1 billion users in the next year.
In my opinion they said it in this way instead of listing every country that this app is common in.
I feel it was to reinforce that the USSR exists for Americans that still believe it. They don't care about the word "former", they just want a reason to hate what they perceive as communism despite them not being communist.
"and the republics of the former Soviet Union"
Wow, what a propaganda site considering the Soviet Union hasn't existed since 91.
Just to put the whole quotation:
In my opinion they said it in this way instead of listing every country that this app is common in.
I feel it was to reinforce that the USSR exists for Americans that still believe it. They don't care about the word "former", they just want a reason to hate what they perceive as communism despite them not being communist.
It's pure propaganda.