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 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)

February 21, 2014

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and leaders of the anti-government opposition reached a compromise agreement this morning designed to end the political crisis that has turned Kiev, the capital, into a battleground. After hours of talks with opposition leaders, Yanukovych agreed to hold new elections by December; to form a national unity government; and to restore a constitution drafted in 2004 that would reduce the power of the president. After French, German, and Polish foreign ministers witnessed the signing of the agreement, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a statement commending both sides “for their courage and commitment to the agreement” and calling for “an immediate end to all violence and confrontation in Ukraine.” However, it remains unclear whether protesters in the streets will back the agreement, which leaves Yanukovych in power until at least the end of the year. Many protesters have declared that nothing short of his immediate resignation will satisfy them.

The western half of Ukraine supports closer ties with the European Union. The eastern half, where most people speak Russian and are of Russian descent, continues to support Viktor Yanukovych's move to bind Ukraine closer to Russia. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

Shortly after the deal was signed, Ukraine’s parliament approved the immediate restoration of the 2004 constitution and granted amnesty to protesters accused of involvement in recent violence. The parliament also voted to release former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been imprisoned for more than two years. In 2011, Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of power and sentenced to seven years in prison. Many Ukrainians and most western leaders denounced both her trial and sentence as political motivated.

Today’s agreement comes after the bloodiest day yet in the three-month uprising. Yesterday, Ukrainian security forces in Kiev killed at least 50 protesters following the breakdown of a truce agreed to on February 19. Military-grade weapons were issued to police, and according to witnesses, snipers shot protesters from rooftops around Independence Square, the center of the demonstrations.

The unrest in Ukraine began in November when Yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. His move to bind Ukraine to Russia infuriated the residents of western Ukraine who want the country allied to the West with its tradition of democracy and capitalism. Yanukovych remains popular in the Russian-speaking eastern half of the country, where economic and cultural ties with Russia are strong.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2009 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2010 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2012 (a Back in Time article)

February 19, 2014

After several days of quiet in Ukraine, violent clashes again erupted between security forces and antigovernment protesters attempting to storm the parliament in the capital, Kiev. At least 26 people were killed in the hours-long melee, with protesters, numbering in the tens of thousands, hurling cobblestones and Molotov cocktails at police who responded with rubber bullets and stun grenades. The enraged protesters reoccupied Kiev’s City Hall, which they had vacated just two days before. Militants also occupied and set fire to the headquarters of President Viktor Yanukovych’s ruling Party of Regions. The defense ministry ordered paratroopers into Kiev to defend government offices and military installations.

The latest mayhem broke out one day after it was revealed that Russia had purchased $2 billion in Ukrainian government bonds, providing yet another financial lifeline to Yanukovych’s government. In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged $15 billion to back Ukraine’s struggling economy.

The western half of Ukraine supports closer ties with the European Union. The eastern half, where most people speak Russian and are of Russian descent, continues to support Viktor Yanukovych's move to bind Ukraine closer to Russia. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

The unrest in Ukraine began in November, when Yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the European Union (EU) in favor of closer ties with Russia. International affairs experts suggested that Yanukovych feared that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Vladimir Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly bitter cold January. 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.

Yanukovych’s move to bind Ukraine to Russia infuriated the residents of western Ukraine who want the country allied to the West with its tradition of democracy and capitalism. Yanukovych remains popular in the Russian-speaking eastern half of the country, where economic and cultural ties with Russia are strong.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2009 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2012 (a Back in Time article)

January 22, 2014

Two protesters were killed today, shot by police, in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. The fatalities are the first since antigovernment protests began there two months ago. Responding to news of the deaths, thousands of protesters are now pouring into Kiev’s Independence Square. Overhead hangs a cloud of acrid, black smoke from the burning of tires at blocked intersections.

Today’s violence was touched off by police moving in to dismantle a protest camp. Protesters, angered by the government’s apparent tightening of relations with Russia, have been camped out in Kiev since late November. New laws banning unauthorized tents in public areas and prescribing jail terms for anyone blockading public buildings went into effect today. The hasty passage of the laws last week by the Ukrainian parliament triggered renewed protests over the weekend, with young men hurling fireworks and Molotov cocktails at security forces guarding the parliament building. Riot police responded with stun grenades and rubber bullets. At least 200 people were injured in that melee.

Ukrainians protest in Kiev's Independence Square in 2004. Their demonstrations led to the Orange Revolution, an important step toward democracy. However, subsequent governments have failed to live up to the promise of the revolution. (AP/Wide World)

The unrest in Ukraine began on November 21 when President Viktor Yanukovych backed out of proposed political and free trade accords that would have moved the country closer to the European Union (EU). Experts on the situation in Ukraine note that to most Ukrainians, the West represents freedom, democracy, and prosperity. International affairs experts suggest that Yanukovych feared that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly cold January.

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:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)

December 18, 2013

The Russian government announced yesterday that the state-owned Gazprom energy company has dropped the price of natural gas supplied to Ukraine from more than $400 per 1,000 cubic meters to $268.50. Russian President Vladimir Putin also agreed yesterday to purchase $15 billion in Ukrainian government bonds. In Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told his Cabinet ministers that the aid from Russia is saving Ukraine from “bankruptcy and social collapse” and that the lower gas prices will allow for “a revival of economic growth.”

The massive antigovernment protests that have disrupted Kiev and other Ukrainian cities for weeks continued, however. The leaders of the opposition movement are demanding to know what Ukraine offered Russia in return for the aid. Speaking yesterday in Kiev’s Independence Square, opposition party leader Vitali Klitschko told protesters that President Viktor Yanukovych was betraying Ukraine’s independence by joining with Russia.

(World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

The protests in Kiev began in late November with demonstrators blockading government buildings and erecting barricades in a campaign to bring down the Yanukovych government. The unrest was triggered by Yanukovych’s refusal to sign sweeping political and free trade accords that would have moved Ukraine closer to the European Union (EU). Experts on the situation in Ukraine note that to most Ukrainians, the West represents freedom, democracy, and prosperity. International affairs experts suggest that Yanukovych feared that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly cold January.

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:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)

December 11, 2013

Riot police have abandoned their latest attempt to dislodge antigovernment demonstrators from their strongholds, including Independence Square in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. Their withdrawal came only after battling with protesters for several hours. Wearing hard hats, the protesters had locked arms to form a human chain around the square to keep the police out. In the occupied city hall, demonstrators used fire hoses to shoot icy water at police to keep them at bay.

The antigovernment protests in Kiev began in late November with demonstrators blockading government buildings and erecting barricades on Independence Square in a campaign to bring down the government of President Viktor Yanukovych. The unrest was triggered by President Yanukovych’s refusal to sign sweeping political and free trade accords that would have moved Ukraine closer to the European Union (EU). Experts on the situation in Ukraine note that to most Ukrainians, the West represents freedom, democracy, and prosperity.

Ukrainians protest in Kiev's Independence Square in 2004. Their demonstrations led to the Orange Revolution, an important step toward democracy. However, subsequent governments have failed to live up to the promise of the revolution. (AP/Wide World)

Over the last two weeks, the protests have grown ever larger. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out on Sunday, December 8. At the height of that demonstration, protesters pulled down a giant statue of Lenin, underscoring their rage at Russia over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role in convincing Yanukovych to back off from the EU agreements. International affairs experts suggest that Yanukovych fears that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly cold January.

Yanukovych stoked the unrest even further last week by stopping on his way home from an official trip to Beijing to meet with Putin at the Russian resort city of Sochi. Putin is pressing Yanukovych to bring Ukraine into a customs union with Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. 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:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)