With the current civil war in Ukraine unfolding and Russian involvement being well known, the average person would consider this a very simple situation of Russia flexing its might. While there is some truth for Russian involvement being exactly that, the reasoning for Russia’s foreign policy is a much more complex situation that cannot be summarized into one definitive reason. In fact, there are a variety of factors that could be categorized into three groups known as the three levels of analysis, International, Domestic, and Individual.
To better understand the context of Russia’s intervention in the Ukrainian crisis, one has understand that Ukraine and Russia share a very complex historical relation with one another. Dating back to the formation of Kievan Rus in the 9th century, Ukraine has shared a varying relationship with Russia ranging from a region of the Russian empire to one of the 15 states comprising the Soviet Union. This historical relationship, however has to the leading cause of the Ukrainian civil war. For much of Russia’s history, Russia had enacted domestic policies favoring the teaching of Russian customs and the Russian language collectively known as Russification as well as relocation of native populations. As a result, modern Ukraine has become a heterogeneous country. According the CIA’s ‘World Fact Book’, ethnic Ukrainians currently compose 77.8% of the population with ethnic Russians making up the largest minority at 17.3% while language wise,
Success in this enterprise depends on taking advantage of opportunities and on a pragmatic approach in foreign affairs. Ukraine must pursue consistent, strategically predictable policies in the interests of its people. In this connection, integration with
The two countries, Russia and Ukraine, had different reactions towards the armed violence and impeachment of the Ukrainian president. Although the majority of the Ukrainians opposed Viktor’s decision to procrastinate the signing the EU-Ukraine integration agreement, all the ex-presidents accused for its interference with the affairs of Crimean. The former presidents of Ukraine, including Leonid Kravchuk and Leonid Kuchma described the present crisis as Russia’s political interventions designed to interfere with the internal affairs of Ukraine and its relationship with the European Union (Hanschke 1). The people of Crimea have not been seeking for secession from Ukraine, but their interest is to have extended autonomy and rights to govern the Crimean affairs with minimum involvement of the government of Ukraine. Russia, on the other hand, have dismissed the accusation and stated that it is pursuing the interest of the people of Crimea to join the Federation of Russia. Russia holds that the people of Crimea have the power to decide the future of their territory and Russia will be ready to respect their decision. Study shows that about 90
Russia invaded the territory of Ukraine in 2014. After the fall of the President of Ukraine as well as the protests of Euromaidan, Russia decided to take control of infrastructure and strategic areas within Ukraine. Russia joined Crimea after a disproved vote which resulted in Crimeans voting to join the Federation of Russia following official results. Therefore, pro-Russian groups organized demonstrations in the region of Donbass in Ukraine which intensified into armed conflict between the government of the Ukraine and the forces that were backing Russia which were Lugansk and Donetsk. The forces had
The conflict between the Ukraine and Russia is the Ukraine's most long-standing and deadly crisis; since its post-Soviet independence began as a protest against the government dropping plans to forge closer trade ties with the European Union. The conflict between Russia and the Ukraine stems from more than twenty years of weak governance, the government’s inability to promote a coherent executive branch policy, an economy dominated by oligarchs and rife with corruption, heavy reliance on Russia, and distinct differences between Ukraine's population from both Eastern and Western regions in terms of linguistics, religion and ethnicity (Lucas 2009).
As the military conflict and increasing hostility between Russia and Ukraine continues, so will the visible effects on the Ukrainian economy, which could result in extensive and long term changes in Ukraine’e energy sector and the country’s energy policy. In light of growing pressures from the European Union to maintain a normalised relationship with Gazprom, as well as the looming end date of its gas supply contract with Russia in 2019, Ukraine’s foreign policy must aim to re-examine this relationship, but also drive efforts for diversification and ensuring energy security in the long - run.
In the context of the recent events taking place in Ukraine we may note that legal remedies,
An independent country embroiled in civil war, Ukraine fell prey to attack from Soviet forces in 1921. The acquisition of the eastern two thirds of the state by Russia was considered “crucial...to the formation of the Soviet Union” (Conant, 2014). Over the next two decades,
the annexation of the region is likely to reveal the interest of the Russian administration to control the peninsula and the reserve of oil and gases within the sea. However, joining the jigsaw reveals intense power play between the two countries and there is sufficient logical progression showing that the power play within the territory of Ukrainian implies “safeguarding” of their powerful global stature.
Origin of Ukraine was identified as ‘‘Kieran Russians’’ up awaiting the 16th century. In the 19th century , Kiev was the main political and cultural middle in eastern Europe. 13th to 16th century Kiev was underneath the pressure of Poland and western Europe. Moscow think agreement an invite to take over Kiev and Ukrainian position was finally absorbed in to the Russian kingdom. later than the statement of in Jan 28- 1918 and more than a few years of fighting. 1928 Ukraine be converted into a Russian state. 1922 Ukraine happened to of the creator of the union of Russian state.
Unlike the rest of Ukraine, Eastern Ukrainians have received more of a cultural and linguistic influence from Russia. The Ukrainian people are descended from the nomadic, free Cossacks. The Cossacks “neither loved the tsar not the [Polish] lord” and were a people totally separate from the Russians and Polish (Magosci 19). The roots of Russia and Ukraine reveal that the name Russia is derived from the word Kievian Rus. The Kievian Rus were Ukrainian people who had established Kiev, “the capital of the ancient Russian state” (ExpatRu). The name “Russia” was eventually adopted by Peter the Great many years later. The Russian-speaking Ukrainians have been influenced a lot by Russian culture; they have adopted the language due to the constant transfer of power between Russia (including the USSR) and other countries. Due to the lack of this knowledge, the rebels have successfully manipulated the minds of the Russian-speaking citizens into thinking they are ethnic Russians. The support the rebels show toward Russia has given them protection; Russia already seeks to expand its territory, so they completely support anything the rebels do. Historically, Ukrainians and many western Russians are Ukrainian; the arrogance the rebels have
On top of the Russian economic issues, Putin felt Ukraine’s departure from Russian support was a major strike to the Russian national pride. Russia felt a kinship with Ukraine based on the close history these countries share. The relationship between Russia and Ukraine deteriorated because of Ukrainian efforts to embrace Western ideals and
Putin wasted no time seizing control of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula on Saturday March 1st after he was granted broad authority by the Russian Government to use military force in response to the political unrest in Ukraine. Putin’s declaration on this upheaval is, “Russia cannot ignore calls for help, and it acts accordingly, in full compliance with international law.” The influx of Russian military led the Ukraine to call upon its military reserves warning Moscow against further incursions as Western powers scrambled to respond to the crisis. Russian troops swarmed major roads of Crimea, encircling government buildings, closed the main airport and seized communication hubs, solidifying what began as a covert effort to control the largely pro-Russian region. Putin’s government contends ethnic Russians in Crimea are at risk after the removal of Yanukovych, an allegation Ukraine’s new leaders deny.
Ukraine Crisis has been the main hot global issue of the 2014. Two nations, Ukraine and Russia, were and are all over the internet, newspapers and newscasts. What is going on in nations that have their reputation of being the nation of the hot girls?
Third, in nowadays there is a war between Ukraine and Russia that is because of Ukraine land. Everything started when, “The situation that emerged between November 2013 and March 2014, the so-called Euromaidan, can be called a ‘Ukrainian crisis’ as indeed hundreds of thousands of people stood against the regime of President Viktor Yanukovych demanding to stop corruption, to proceed with the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU.”( Shelest 191). When people heard that the agreement will not be signed, Ukrainian people stood against the president. Soon the Euromaidan become not just a Revolution, but a fight for life. “Those events took place in Ukraine and were about Ukraine. The events following March 2014 are not anymore just about Ukraine. They are more about Russia’s fear of a Maidan of its own, about exercising control in its ‘spheres of interests and influence’ and about contradictions between the East and the West, as perceived by Russia.” (Shelest 191-192). During the Revolution more than 100 people died. After the that the war with Russia started. “In addition, the Russian president received parliamentary approval to deploy its armed forces to the territory of Ukraine in order to protect Russian-speakers from potentially lethal violence. As of 5 March, however, there was no sign of Russian forces seeking to move beyond Crimea.” ( Redman 239).Russian saying that they were “ supporting the Russian-speaking population but it
Since the end of the Cold War, Ukraine is divided between two major ideological current. On one side, the Russian movement that remains closely tied to its roots and its recent history and on the other hand, its desire to accede to the European sphere. This ideological divide remains a determining factor of the current situation of the country. Thus, the year 2013 was the culmination of this ideological confrontation materialized by the will of the President Viktor Yanukovych to abandon the association agreement with the European Union and seek closer cooperation with Russia. This action has triggered a conflagration in the region which ultimately led to the