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Crisis in Ukraine explained


Through the Open World delegations, UCC has ties with several universities in Ukraine. The crisis has several UCC staff members concerned.
Sasha Maksymento / Flickr
Through the Open World delegations, UCC has ties with several universities in Ukraine. The crisis has several UCC staff members concerned.

The situation in Ukraine is currently very fluid and volatile. Nothing is simple regarding the country’s current political situation, but to gain a basic understanding of what is going on, here are some things to know.

According to the Ukrainian 2011 Census, the population is approximately 48 million, with 77% ethnic Ukrainians and 17% Russian.

The location of Ukraine is very important to understanding what is occurring in the country. Ukraine is located between Russia to the East, and Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Belarus to the West and North.

According to National Geographic, Ukraine has a long and complex history which has often been associated with domination from the various kingdoms of Russia. It has often been a divided area until its incorporation into the Soviet Union in 1922. Known as a “bread basket” country, it is extremely fertile and is one of the largest exporters of wheat in the world. Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

According to the BBC, in 2004 the “Orange Revolution” toppled Viktor Yanukovych from power. Yanukovych returned to power in 2006 and 2010. In 2013 Yanukovych rejected a deal with the European Union, and signed a loan agreement with Russia, leading to protests (primarily in Western Ukraine). In February of 2014, clashes between police and protesters grew violent, leading to scores of deaths and injuries. Shortly after, Ukraine’s Parliament voted to impeach Yanukovych, who fled to the eastern part of the country, where pro-Russian sentiment runs high.

According to Reuters, while a new government is now in place, Yanukovych considers himself Prime Minister, and Russia regards his ouster as an illegal coup.

According to CNN, the Crimean peninsula was “gifted” to Ukraine by the Soviet Union in 1954. When Ukraine became independent in 1991, Crimea joined with the country, leading to tension with Russia. However, many Crimeans feel more loyalty to Russia, and many ethnic Russians make Crimea home. Because of this, Russia has recently sent thousands of troops into Crimea, leading to conflict with Ukraine. On March 6, Crimean politicians voted to rejoin the Russian Republic, a decision that Ukraine has rejected.