For many Russians, Kyiv – Ukraine’s capital city – is the birthplace of their nation. Many even acknowledge the deep cultural ties that exist between the two countries. That said, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, isn’t the first time the two former Soviet republics have been embroiled in bitter conflict.
Russia’s recent encroachment on Ukraine went down in history as the largest-ever land invasion in Europe since the end of World War II. In a passionate televised speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine represents more than just a neighboring country. According to him, its borders are nothing more than an “administrative partition” of the former Soviet Union.
To many Westerners, Putin’s historical claim on Ukraine sounds outlandish. However, to understand why Russia is seemingly obsessed with Ukraine and Crimea, you need to go back in time, back to where it all began.
What is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine? Here’s everything you need to know.
A Brief History of Ukraine and Russia – Timeline of Events
Below is a brief overview of the history of conflict between Russia and Ukraine over the decades.
1918
In a war involving multiple countries fought by numerous armies for several years, Ukraine declared independence from Russia. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk recognized the infant nation’s sovereignty giving it international recognition. A few years later, Soviet forces invaded the independent country, proceeded to overthrow its government, and seized control over it. Ukraine was subsumed into the Soviet Union in 1921 to become the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
1932-1933
Stalin’s policy of collectivization led to widespread famine in the Soviet Union. Ukraine, which was, at the time, fondly christened the “Soviet Union’s breadbasket,” was the hard hit by the disaster. The calamity was referred to as the Holodomor, a derivative of the Ukrainian word for famine.
1939-1944
The Soviet Union annexed what is now present-day Western Ukraine from Romania and Poland. In the years that followed, Nazi Germany and the rest of the Axis Powers, namely Italy and Japan, invaded the Soviet Union and occupied Ukraine. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic suffered expansive devastation as a result.
1991
Ukraine declared independence. This move was the result of a referendum in which 92% of voters supported Ukraine’s bid for sovereignty. Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus later signed an accord recognizing the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In the years that followed, Ukraine transitioned to a market economy. It also amassed a massive stockpile of a nuclear arsenal that previously belonged to the former Soviet Union.
1994
Following the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a solid commitment from Russia to “respect the sovereignty and independence” of its borders.
2014
In February that year, after more than two decades of peace between the two nations, Ukrainian protestors in the nation’s capital overthrew President Viktor Yanukovych. They cited the president’s tolerance of Moscow’s interests in what they perceived as a threat to Ukraine’s independence. The revolution culminated in more than 100 deaths during the protests held in the nation’s capital, Kyiv, which is sometimes referred to as the Maidan.
After the overthrow of Yanukovych’s administration, an interim government was formed. This pro-Western administration eventually signed a trade agreement with the European Union. The move signaled the first steps toward membership in the EU.
Russia Invades Ukraine 2014
Shortly afterward, Russian troops invaded Ukraine, the outcome of which was the Russian annexation of Crimea. In the months that followed, Russian-backed secessionists in eastern Ukraine declared themselves independent republics dubbed – the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic. The two newly-formed nations then proceeded to launch an attack on Ukraine.
The secessionist war raged on for several months after that in the eastern region of Ukraine known as Donbas. The conflict then spread to the west, cumulatively killing more than 13,000 Ukrainian civilians and soldiers.
2014-2015
Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany signed multiple ceasefire agreements collectively referred to as the Minsk Accords. The exact details of these agreements were shrouded in secrecy, with many viewing them as ambiguous.
2019
In April that year, Volodymyr Zelensky – a former TV star – was elected president by a large majority. As part of his election promise, Zelensky vowed to restore Donbas to Ukraine and make peace with Russia.
2021-2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn’t pleased with Ukraine’s persistent drift toward the west, which consists of the United States and its allies. He demanded a series of security “guarantees,” one of which was an assurance by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that it would reject Ukraine’s bid to join the alliance. He also demanded that NATO pulls back troops stationed in countries that joined the pact in the years following 1997.
Why Did Russia Invade Georgia?
On August 8, 2008, the Russian invasion of Georgia marked the beginning of Europe’s 21st-century war. While the conflict itself only lasted a few days, it had far-reaching repercussions that continue to reverberate more than a decade later. This war shaped Europe’s wider geopolitical landscape.
Aptly dubbed “Europe’s forgotten war,” the international response to the Russo-Georgia war was conspicuously muted. Russia hardly suffered any negative consequences following its military campaign against the Eastern European nation. In fact, leaders in the EU led calls for a ceasefire whose terms largely favored Russian interests. While all this was going on, the US ushered in a new Obama-led administration whose approach was to renew and promote cordial relations with the Kremlin.
This somewhat accommodating approach by the EU and the west was widely interpreted by Russia as an informal green light to perpetrate further acts of aggression in what would historically fall within its sphere of influence. This apparent lack of accountability was seen six years later when, in 2014, Moscow led a military campaign against Ukraine and hived off the Crimean Peninsula.
Background to the Russo-Georgia Conflict
After the invasion of the Red Army in the early 1920s, the residents of South Ossetia were accused of siding with the Soviet Union. The result was that it became an autonomous region within the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia. Northern Ossetia fell on the other end of the Caucasus Mountains, effectively forming part of Russia.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 90s, Georgia gained independence from Moscow and became a sovereign state. Zviad Gamsakhurdia subsequently came to power and stoked South Ossetia’s separatist movement sentiments. In 1992, the region gained independence from Georgia.
The general feeling at the time was that powerful military agents within the Russian armed forces were not pleased with the break-up of the Soviet Union. They incited the South Ossetians to rise up and rebel against Georgia. The idea was that its departure would weaken the country and leave it vulnerable to Russian forces who wanted to exact their revenge.
A three-way ceasefire agreement between South Ossetia, Georgia, and Russia was signed to end years of sporadic violence in the region. With it came 12 years of peace up until President Mikheil Saakashvili ascended to power in 2004. He wanted to reintegrate South Ossetia back into Georgia. However, his vision for a united Georgia was thwarted after South Ossetians rejected the idea in a referendum held two years later.
Russia’s Role in the Georgia-South Ossetia War
Georgia was not pleased with South Ossetia strengthening ties with Moscow when, in April 2008, Russia announced that it would no longer be a party to the economic sanctions imposed by the Commonwealth of Independent States.
These sanctions had been in place since 1996. Instead, it established diplomatic relations with the leadership of the separatist movements in South Ossetia, a move that angered Georgia.
On the other hand, Russia was not pleased with Georgia’s ambitions of becoming part of the European Union and NATO. By the summer of that year, both Russia and Georgia accused the other of preparing for a military assault.
By early August, tensions were high, and fighting broke out between the separatist forces and the Georgian army. The conflict escalated when Georgian forces launched concerted ground and air assaults on Tskhinvali – the capital of South Ossetia- on August 7, 2008.
Russia responded to these acts of aggression by entering South Ossetia under the pretext that it was coming to the aid of its nationals since many South Ossetians are Russian passport holders. After five days of fighting, the Russian and South Ossetian military pushed out the Georgians and even launched attacks on the Tbilisi suburbs.
When the war came to an end, more than 800 soldiers and civilians lost their lives. In the days following the conflict, South Ossetia, Georgia, and Russia agreed to a ceasefire. Russia recognized South Ossetia as an independent and sovereign region, making it one of the few countries worldwide that do.
What Does Putin Want in Ukraine?
After Vladimir Putin instigated the largest war in Europe since the end of World War II, the questions on most people’s minds are: What is his end goal? How does it all end?
When Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Putin justified the move, stating that the more Ukraine leaned toward the west, the more his country and its citizens were left vulnerable. He alleged that it was impossible for Russia to feel safe, to develop, or even exist.
Putin’s initial goal was to use Russian troops and a sophisticated collection of military arsenal to overrun Ukraine and overthrow its government. This outcome would effectively put to an end any longing or possibility of Ukraine joining NATO or any other western alliance.
However, Ukrainian defense forces jealously guarded Kyiv in a twist of fate, making it impossible for Putin to capture it despite repeated attempts over several months. With those setbacks, Russia turned its attention to the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine.
When Putin first invaded Ukraine, he stated that his overall goal was to “de-Nazify and demilitarize” the country and save Ukrainian nationals from what he referred to as several years of genocide and bullying by the Ukrainian government. He spoke of freeing Ukrainians from oppression, terming the invasion as a “special military operation” as opposed to war. He termed the operation a noble cause.
It’s important to mention that, for years, Russia has repeated the Nazi-and-genocide-in-Ukraine narrative for several years. However, these assertions are completely unfounded.
Ukraine and the Black Sea
On April 14, 2022, a Russian warship christened Moskva sank in the Black Sea after sustaining damage due to an explosion. According to Russia’s defense ministry, the 12,490-ton, 510-crew missile liner – Russia’s biggest warship, is said to have encountered stormy weather out at sea, causing it to sink while being towed to the designated port. As a result, the vessel sustained damage to the hull, causing a fire to break out when ammunition on board detonated. Moskva’s captain, who was on board at the time, was killed in the explosion.
Ukrainian military officials stated that their naval forces hit the warship with Neptune missiles, weapons that were designed in 2014 after Russia hived off the Crimean Peninsula. US officials also believe that the Russian warship was struck by two of these missiles, causing the explosion that ultimately sank the Moskva.
When Russia first invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Moskva sailed to Snake Island, which forms part of Ukrainian territory on the Black Sea. The warship gained notoriety after navy soldiers onboard radioed the border troops on the island, calling for their surrender. The Ukrainian troops refused to yield and instead responded with an expletive-riddled message.
Ukraine Economy and GDP – Economic Outlook
Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia. According to 2020 data from the World Bank, it has a population of 44.13 million with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $155.6 billion. This figure makes up 0.14% of the world economy.
Experts predict that the country’s economic output will reduce by a whopping 45% as a result of the disruption of trade. The closure of shipping through the Black Sea has cut off more than 50% of Ukraine’s total exports and close to 90% of its grain exports.
The war has disrupted economic operations in several areas across the country, the most notable being agricultural planting and harvesting activities. For now, it will be a long time before Ukraine recovers from the effects of the conflict.
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