Answer:
Ukraine became an independent country in 1991 upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have since increased, highlighted by:
- The 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, ending in the victory of a candidate who Russian President Vladmir Putin did not support.
- Russia’s unrecognized annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.
- The placement of 100,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian border in 2021, alarming Ukrainian and NATO officials.
- The recent aggression in February 2022 when President Putin ordered the Russian military to invade several regions of Ukraine.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Putin has accused Ukraine of being taken over by “extremists.” In 2014, then-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych was ousted after protests. When Yanukovych fled to Russia, a democratic government was placed into power. Putin's alleged reason for invading Ukraine is to put an end to the “extremists” and “purify” Ukraine. Most countries are inclined to believe that it is retaliation against leaders with more Western ideals.
Ukraine has been working towards joining the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since its independence. Russia’s President Putin has objected to this on several occasions. Without the inclusion of Ukraine into NATO, it is likely that they will not be able to obtain help from other countries already within NATO, facilitating Putin’s plans to exercise power.
Ukraine is one of several nations who established their independence when the USSR dissolved in 1991. Reclaiming these nations would allow President Putin’s government to expand geographically and politically. It would also allow Russia to gain more natural resources, boosting Russia itself and its military power.