June 4, 2014

Speaking in Warsaw at an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Poland’s democratic government, President Barack Obama sought to reassure Poland and Eastern European nations that have grown anxious about their national security since Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The event, Freedom Day, celebrated Poland’s first Western-style elections—held on June 4, 1989—in which the Solidarity movement defeated the Communist government that had formed in Poland in the late 1940′s. After the 1989 elections, Poland went on to become an economic and political success story, joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1999 and the European Union (EU) in 2004.

A political rally held in Poland during the 1989 elections showed support for the Solidarity movement (© Filip Horvat, SABA).

Russia’s takeover of the Crimean Peninsula in April 2014 created anxiety throughout central and eastern Europe. Some former Soviet nations worried that Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to re-create the Soviet empire. Yesterday, President Obama announced a $1-billion program to bolster the presence of the U.S. military in Poland and its neighbors. The program includes providing military aid to such non-NATO nations as Georgia and Ukraine.

Speaking in Castle Square, President Obama gave a strong promise of military support, saying, “I know that throughout history, the Polish people were abandoned by friends when you needed them most.  So I’ve come to Warsaw today—on behalf of the United States, on behalf of the NATO Alliance—to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Poland’s security . . . . We stand together—now and forever—for your freedom is ours.”

April 14, 2014

Pro-Russian militants today stormed another police station in another town in eastern Ukraine, Horlivka. After hurling rocks through the windows, gunmen took control of the station and raised a Russian flag. In Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, interim President Oleksander Turchynov stated that his government is preparing an “anti-terrorist operation” against militants occupying government buildings in the east. Yesterday, he issued an ultimatum to the activists–either disarm and leave government buildings within 24 hours or troops would be sent in to dislodge them. Responding to the ultimatum, the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the Ukrainian government must refrain from any violence against the protesters, otherwise it risks “sparking a civil war.” Ukrainian troops have yet to march into eastern Ukraine, and President Turchynov has called on the United Nations (UN) to send a peace-keeping force into Ukraine. (International affairs experts note that such a move is unlikely. The UN cannot undertake such a mission without the consent of the Security Council, and, as a permanent member of the council, Russia has veto power.)

More and more police stations and government buildings in eastern Ukraine are now under the militant’s control. Russian flags are flying in the cities of Donetsk, Luhansk, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkivka. Correspondents in the region report that many of the protesters carry Russian guns and look suspiciously like the Russian forces that took Crimea last month. They note that the fact that protesters were able yesterday to set up a roadblock on a main highway into a major city–Donetsk–is an indication of the scale of the central government’s loss of control in the region.

Pro-Russian separatists now control of a number of cities and towns across eastern Ukraine. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

For additional information on the Ukrainian revolution, search Ukraine articles under Archived Stories.

Additional World Book article:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)

March 21, 2014

Leaders of the European Union (EU) and Ukraine signed an agreement today designed to give the Ukraine’s interim leadership under Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk economic and political support. European Union President Herman Van Rompuy stated that the accord “recognizes the aspirations of the people of Ukraine to live in a country governed by values, by democracy and the rule of law.” Calling it a “historic day,” Prime Minister Yatsenyuk declared, “We want to be a part of the big European family and this is the first tremendous step in order to achieve for Ukraine its ultimate goal, as a full-fledged member.” Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s abandonment of an EU trade agreement in November to move closer to Russia triggered massive protests that brought down his government and ultimately resulted in Russia’s seizure of Crimea.

Both Yatsenyuk and Rompuy noted that “the best way to contain Russia is to impose real economic leverage.” To that end, EU leaders have scheduled meetings to forge ways to reduce their energy dependence on Russia. Natural gas and oil from Russia accounted for at least 33 percent of total EU imports in 2010.

International affairs experts point out that natural gas and oil profits fuel Russia’s economy and, thus, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power on the world stage. They describe today’s agreement as a show of support following the Crimean annexation earlier this week.

Yesterday, President Barack Obama of the United States announced further sanctions against prominent Russians, many of whom are close associates of President Putin. President Obama also revealed that he has signed an executive order that allows the United States “to impose sanctions on key sectors of the Russian economy.” He also urged Congress to pass an aid package to support the Ukraine’s tottering economy.

In Moscow, President Putin signed legislation into law formally absorbing Crimea into Russia. Russia sent troops into Crimea in late February, seizing control from Ukraine on the pretext that the region’s Russian-speaking majority needed protection from the next government in Kiev.

For additional information on the Ukrainian revolution, search Ukraine articles under Archived Stories.

Additional World Book article:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)

March 18, 2014

President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders, meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, signed a treaty this morning in which the Russian Federation annexed the strategically important Black Sea peninsula. In a televised speech before both houses of the Russian parliament, President Putin stated, “In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia.” Putin then declared that he had corrected a “historical injustice.” (Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea to the Soviet Republic of Ukraine in 1954.) Putin went on to speak of the humiliations Russia has suffered with one superpower–the United States–dominating the world. He specifically pointed to the NATO air war in Kosovo in 1999 and the toppling of Libyan leader Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi in 2011. Putin described NATO bombing in Libya as carried out under the false pretense of humanitarian intervention.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders meeting in the Kremlin signed a treaty this morning that made Crimea part of the Russian Federation. (Superstock)

In the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the foreign ministry responded to the annexation with the following statement: “We do not recognize and never will recognize the so-called independence or the so-called agreement on Crimea joining the Russian Federation.” France, Germany, and the United States also condemned the Russia-Crimea treaty. In London, British Prime Minister David Cameron stated, “It is completely unacceptable for Russia to use force to change borders on the basis of a sham referendum held at the barrel of a Russian gun.”

Pro-Russian forces took over Crimea late last month after Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted. International affairs experts note that the pretense was to protect Crimea’s Russian-speaking majority, that is, “humanitarian intervention.” The crisis in Ukraine began in November 2013 when Yanukovych abandoned a European Union trade agreement in favor of closer ties to Russia, triggering massive protests in the capital and other cities.

For additional information on the Ukrainian revolution, search Ukraine articles under Archived Stories.

Additional World Book articles:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Kosovo 2008 (a Back in Time article)
• Kosovo 2009 (a Back in Time article)
• Libya 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 1994 (a Back in Time article)

March 17, 2014

The Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, meeting in Simferopol, the Crimean capital, declared the region independent from Ukraine and formally requested that it be annexed by the Russian Federation. The declaration follows yesterday’s referendum in which Crimean officials claim 97 percent of participants voted for sucession.

In response to the Crimean declaration, the United States and the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Russia. They include visa bans and the freezing of assets of Russian officials and Crimean separatist leaders whom they believe are responsible for wresting Crimea from Ukrainian control. The EU, Ukraine, and the United States refuse to recognize the validity of the referendum, claiming it is a breach of international law.

Crimea, a part of Ukraine since 1954, is a peninsula that juts into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The larger map shows the major cities of Crimea. The smaller map at bottom right shows the location of Crimea in relation to the rest of Europe and Asia. (World Book maps)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has embraced the result of the referendum but has not formally declared his intent to annex the strategic territory. In a tense telephone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama, Putin cited  the independence of Kosovo–which Russia has never formally recognized–as precedent for Crimea’s secession.

Speaking at a press conference at the White House, President Obama stated that the United States is “ready to impose further sanctions” depending on whether Russia escalates or de-escalates the situation in Ukraine. The president warned that if the government of President Putin continues to intervene in Ukraine, it will “achieve nothing except to further isolate Russia and diminish its place in the world.” In Kiev, the Ukrainian parliament voted to partially mobilize 40,000 reservists. Russia is believed to have some 20,000 troops in Crimea. The Crimean city of Sevastopol is also the home port of Russia’s important Black Sea fleet.

For additional information on the Ukrainian revolution, search Ukraine articles under Archived Stories.

Additional World Book articles:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Kosovo (2008) (a Back in Time article)
• Kosovo (2009) (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine (1994) (a Back in Time article)

March 11, 2014

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry today rejected an offer to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the crisis in Ukraine. Kerry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Russia’s military intervention in Crimea had made any negotiations extremely difficult.

Yesterday, the Putin government accused right-wing militants and Ukraine’s new pro-Western government of spreading “chaos” across the eastern part of the country. In a statement issued to the media, Russia said it was outraged “by the chaos which is currently ruling in eastern regions of Ukraine,” allegedly by masked gunmen attacking pro-Russian demonstrators. Crimea as well as eastern Ukraine is largely populated with Russian-speaking people with close cultural ties to Russia. Western Ukraine is largely populated with Ukrainian-speaking people who want Ukraine allied with the European Union (EU).

President Vladimir Putin  (AP/Wide World)

Secretary of State John Kerry (U.S. Senate)

International affairs experts voiced fears that Putin may use the accusation as a pretext for further Russian intervention in Ukraine, widening the current crisis. The statement was issued one day after the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama announced that Ukraine’s interim prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, will meet with the president in Washington tomorrow.

The unrest in Ukraine began on November 21 when then-President Viktor Yanukovych backed out of proposed political and free trade accords with the EU that would have effectively moved the country away from Russia. Russia has dominated Ukraine on and off  for more than 200 years. Because of its fertile soil, Ukraine was once described as Russia’s breadbasket.

Additional World Book articles:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Ukraine 1994 (a Back in Time article)

March 6, 2014

Members of the Crimean parliament voted today to petition the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Crimea, the southernmost region of Ukraine, to join the Russian Federation. If the request is granted, Crimean citizens could vote on secession in a referendum on March 16. In Kiev, a federal court quickly ruled that the Crimean parliament’s actions are broadly illegal and issued an arrest warrant for the new prime minister of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov. Aksyonov was installed a week ago after armed men seized the Crimean parliament building and raised the Russian flag.

Nikita Khrushchev led the Communist Party in the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964. In 1954, he transferred Crimea from the Russian Federation to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (AP/Wide World Photos).

Historically, Crimea was part of Russia. In 1954, Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev, detached the Crimean peninsula from the Russian Federation and transferred it to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Since Ukraine was a republic within the Soviet Union, the territorial transfer was not particularly troubling to Crimea’s Russian-speaking majority. However, when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the people of Russian descent in Crimea found themselves in a new country—Ukraine—legally independent of Russia. (Crimea as well as eastern Ukraine is largely populated with Russian-speaking people with close cultural ties to Russia. Western Ukraine is largely populated with Ukrainian-speaking people who want Ukraine allied with the European Union.)

Key leaders of European Union member nations are currently meeting in Brussels to discuss how to respond to Vladimir Putin’s deployment last week of Russian forces into Crimea. In a surprising move, Russian troops, who had surrounded a missile defense base in Crimea several days ago, packed up and left in the night.

Additional World Book articles:

• Russia 1991 (a Back in Time article)
• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Ukraine 1994 (a Back in Time article)

March 5, 2014

United States Secretary of State John Kerry and the foreign ministers of key European Union (EU) member nations meet in Paris with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to try to resolve the political crisis in Ukraine. Earlier, the EU offered Ukraine an €11-billion ($15-billion) aid package. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated that the package of grants and loans was “designed to assist a committed, inclusive, and reforms-oriented government” in Ukraine. The Ukrainian finance ministry has calculated that it needs €25.5 billion ($35 billion) to keep the economy from default. Officials from Russia and NATO were also scheduled to meet in Brussels.

Yesterday, Secretary Kerry visited Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and offered the Ukrainian government $1-billion in loan guarantees and pledges of technical assistance.  Also on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin held a press conference in Moscow which he defended his government’s military occupation of Crimea, the southernmost region of Ukraine. Putin characterized the collapse of the government Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych “as an unconstitutional coup.” He also expressed contempt toward the United States government, which he declared had interfered in Ukraine “from across the pond in America as if they were sitting in a laboratory and running experiments on rats, without any understanding of the consequences.”

John Kerry (U.S. Senate)

President Putin said that he saw no reason for Russian forces to intervene in eastern Ukraine at the moment but “reserves the right to use all means at our disposal to protect” Russian speakers in the country’s south and east if they are threatened. While in Kiev, Secretary Kerry disputed the idea that ethnic Russians in Ukraine are in danger. Surveying a series of improvised memorials where protesters opposed to what was then Ukraine’s pro-Russian government were gunned down,  he said, “Here in the streets today I didn’t see anybody who feels threatened except for the potential of an invasion by Russia.”

Additional World Book articles:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Ukraine 1994 (a Back in Time article)

March 3, 2014

Russia reportedly has demanded the surrender of Ukrainian forces in Crimea. There are reports that the Russian military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea an ultimatum to surrender tonight by 10:00 pm EST or face a full military assault. With Russian troops surrounding Ukrainian bases and airports and manning roadblocks that have cut Ukrainian access to the peninsula, Russia is, in effect, already in control of Crimea, the southern most region of Ukraine.

After already having ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin on March 1 received  authorization from the Russian parliament to deploy armed forces “on Ukrainian territory.” Correspondents reported that the road from Sevastopol to Simferopol, the provincial capital, quickly filled with Russian army trucks.

Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, subsequently announced that he had put Ukraine’s armed forces on full readiness because of “potential aggression” from the estimated 15,000 Russian troops crossing into Crimea.

In a heated, 90-minute telephone conversation on March 1, President Putin informed U.S. President Barack Obama that Russia had the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers not only in Crimea but also in east Ukraine. After the conversation, President Obama expressed his deep concern over Russia’s clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, which he characterized as  a “breach of international law.”

President Vladimir Putin sent thousands of Russian troops into neighboring Crimea, the southernmost region of Ukriane.(AP/Wide World)

In a video address on her website, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko declared on March 2 that by occupying Crimea, Russia has effectively “declared war” on the United Kingdom and the United States. According to Tymoshenko, British and U.S. representatives in 1994 signed the “Budapest Memorandum” guaranteeing Ukraine’s security. “Vladimir Putin is fully conscious that by declaring war, he is also declaring war on the guarantors of our security, the United States and Britain,” she noted.

European Union foreign ministers went into session today in Brussels to discuss possible punitive steps against Russia unless it pulls its troops back to its own bases in Crimea. British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged Russia to pull back its forces in Crimea or face “significant costs,” echoing comments made by U.S. President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. “The world cannot just allow this to happen,” Hague told the BBC. “The world cannot say it’s O.K. in effect to violate the sovereignty of another nation in this way.” However, the governments of France and Germany have made it plain that the imposition of economic sanctions on Russia is not on the table, let alone a military intervention. International affairs experts note that much of the European Union is highly dependent on Russian oil and natural gas.  In 2007, EU countries imported from Russia 32.6 percent of their total oil imports and 38.7 percent of total natural gas imports.

The people of Ukraine are split over their attitudes toward East and West. Crimea as well as eastern Ukraine is largely populated with Russian-speaking people with close historic and cultural ties to Russia. Western Ukraine is largely populated with Ukrainian-speaking people who want Ukraine allied with the European Union and the West. Today, pro-Russian demonstrators marched in the streets of the big cities of eastern Ukraine, voicing their allegiance to Moscow. In the city of Donetsk, about 1,000 demonstrators, waving Russian flags and shouting, “Putin, come!” occupied the first floor of the regional government building that has already been flying the Russian flag for several days.

Additional World Book articles:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Ukraine 1994 (a Back in Time article)

February 28, 2014

Masked men of uncertain allegiance, dressed in camouflage fatigues and carrying assault rifles, took up position today both inside and outside the international airport at Simferopol, Ukraine, as well as a second airfield nearby. Simferopol is a city in Ukraine’s far southern Crimea region. The men have not, so far, harmed anyone or interfered with normal airport operations, but their presence has unnerved travelers and airport personnel alike. Outside the city, long columns of military vehicles with Russian markings are on the move, and experts on the security situation in Ukraine state that it is unclear what their movement signals, other than a show of strength.

In the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, informed the Security and Defense Council that armed men wearing the uniform of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet have taken control of a Ukrainian border crossing just outside the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Sevastopol is home to Russia’s formidable naval fleet on the Black Sea. The Ukrainian parliament responded to these provocations with an appeal to Russia to “stop moves that show signs of undermining [Ukraine's] national sovereignty.” The parliament also officially notified the United Nations of the situation and urged the United Kingdom and the United States to honor commitments made in the early 1990′s to protect Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Crimea, Ukraine's southernmost region, is of extreme strategic importance to Russia. With Russia conducting military exercises along the border, many Ukrainians fear Russia has designs on Crimea. (World Book maps)

In Moscow, the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a denial that its forces have moved into Crimea and declared that Russia has not violated agreements not to intervene in Ukrainian affairs. Many Ukrainians fear that Russia is using the chaotic situation following the collapse of Viktor Yanukovych’s government to take control of strategically important Crimea. (Russia maintains numerous military facilities in Crimea dating from the era when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.)

Crimea as well as eastern Ukraine is largely populated with Russian-speaking people with close cultural ties to Russia. (Western Ukraine is largely populated with Ukrainian-speaking people who want Ukraine allied with the European Union.) Last night, pro-Russia demonstrators marched on the regional parliament in Simferopol, chanting, “Rossiya, Rossiya” (Russia, Russia) and took control of various government buildings.

Additional World Book article:

Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)