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If you are
wondering about what is happening in between Russia and Ukraine, here is an
interesting article on Washington Post that will definitely illuminate you.
How Ukraine got
where it is today, in 486 words
The roots of
the current standoff in Crimea go back a few days, and weeks, and years, and
centuries. Here's a look at how the situation evolved; my 486 words, not
counting captions, start now:
What has
happened in the past few days
Thousands of
Russian troops have entered Crimea, a peninsular portion of Ukraine with strong
ties to Russia and which is home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Ukraine’s interim
government has called this an invasion, and U.S. and European officials have
warned Russia that it will face consequences if it doesn’t withdraw. Russian
President Vladimir Putin said that the troops aren’t Russian but that he has
the right to send in troops.
What happened
in the previous two weeks
Protests
(explained below) in the capital of Kiev had looked like they were dying down,
but then a measure in parliament to limit the president’s powers stalled.
Protesters were angered, and police responded; scores were killed over the next
few days.
Protest leaders
and then-President Viktor Yanukovych came up with a deal to hold elections in
December. Parliament also took action, slashing a lot of the powers the
president had.
What happened
three months before that
Yanukovych
announced that Ukraine would seek increased cooperation with Russia, a sign he
was moving away from Europe. This angered some Ukrainians, and they took to the
streets in Kiev’s Independence Square, also called the Maidan. Protests largely
took place in Kiev and in other cities in the Europe-leaning western part of
Ukraine.
What happened
nine years before that
In 2004,
Yanukovych won a flawed presidential election, and Ukrainians filled the
streets to protest. Thousands demonstrated in what was known as the Orange
Revolution. A new vote was ordered, and Yanukovych lost. (He won the presidency
in 2010, however.)
What happened
22 years before that
Ukraine got its
independence when the Soviet Union collapsed through a 1991 referendum. The
country is about as big as Texas with about twice half as many
people.(Corrected March 5, 7:20 a.m.) At that point, 54 percent of voters in
Crimea favored independence from Russia. The peninsula created its own
constitution and legislature and has a significant amount of autonomy.
What happened
about four decades before that
In what was
considered a gesture of goodwill, in 1954, the Soviet Union transferred
ownership of Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was
formed in 1922.
What happened
two centuries before that
Catherine the
Great, in the late 1700s, developed coal and iron industries in what is now the
eastern part of Ukraine. She later took the west on as well, but she and other
Russian rulers were mostly focused on the fertile land of the east, compared
with the forests of the west. Russians moved into southeastern Ukraine to
battle the Ottoman Empire and banned the Ukrainian language. Russia managed to
keep the peninsula as part of its territory even after losing the Crimean War.
If you are
wondering about what is happening in between Russia and Ukraine, here is an
interesting article on Washington Post that will definitely illuminate you.
How Ukraine got
where it is today, in 486 words
BY TERRI RUPAR,
Washington Post
The roots of
the current standoff in Crimea go back a few days, and weeks, and years, and
centuries. Here's a look at how the situation evolved; my 486 words, not
counting captions, start now:
A Russian
service member guards the Belbek airport on Tuesday. (Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)
A Russian
service member guards the Belbek airport Tuesday. (Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)
What has
happened in the past few days
Thousands of
Russian troops have entered Crimea, a peninsular portion of Ukraine with strong
ties to Russia and which is home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Ukraine’s interim
government has called this an invasion, and U.S. and European officials have
warned Russia that it will face consequences if it doesn’t withdraw. Russian
President Vladimir Putin said that the troops aren’t Russian but that he has
the right to send in troops.
What happened
in the previous two weeks
Protests
(explained below) in the capital of Kiev had looked like they were dying down,
but then a measure in parliament to limit the president’s powers stalled.
Protesters were angered, and police responded; scores were killed over the next
few days.
Protest leaders
and then-President Viktor Yanukovych came up with a deal to hold elections in
December. Parliament also took action, slashing a lot of the powers the
president had.
As the
opposition gained power, Yanukovych fled Kiev for Russia. Photos of his mansion
and fabulous car collection went viral. Yanukovych insists that he’s still
president, but the opposition has set up an interim government and set
elections for May 25.
What happened
three months before that
Yanukovych
announced that Ukraine would seek increased cooperation with Russia, a sign he
was moving away from Europe. This angered some Ukrainians, and they took to the
streets in Kiev’s Independence Square, also called the Maidan. Protests largely
took place in Kiev and in other cities in the Europe-leaning western part of
Ukraine.
What happened
nine years before that
In 2004,
Yanukovych won a flawed presidential election, and Ukrainians filled the
streets to protest. Thousands demonstrated in what was known as the Orange
Revolution. A new vote was ordered, and Yanukovych lost. (He won the presidency
in 2010, however.)
What happened
22 years before that
Ukraine got its
independence when the Soviet Union collapsed through a 1991 referendum. The
country is about as big as Texas with about twice half as many
people.(Corrected March 5, 7:20 a.m.) At that point, 54 percent of voters in
Crimea favored independence from Russia. The peninsula created its own
constitution and legislature and has a significant amount of autonomy.
What happened
about four decades before that
In what was
considered a gesture of goodwill, in 1954, the Soviet Union transferred
ownership of Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was
formed in 1922.
What happened
two centuries before that
Catherine the
Great, in the late 1700s, developed coal and iron industries in what is now the
eastern part of Ukraine. She later took the west on as well, but she and other
Russian rulers were mostly focused on the fertile land of the east, compared
with the forests of the west. Russians moved into southeastern Ukraine to
battle the Ottoman Empire and banned the Ukrainian language. Russia managed to
keep the peninsula as part of its territory even after losing the Crimean War.
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