Since the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, relations between Ukraine and Russia have been strained. The Ukrainian government accuses Russia of supporting pro-Russian separatists in the east and meddling in the country’s politics. Meanwhile, Russia has accused Ukraine of ignoring the rights of Russian speakers and seeking to dominate the former Soviet republic. This ongoing conflict has had a number of consequences, both positive and negative.
The Ukrainian Crisis has been a long and difficult one. Russia has played a large role in exacerbating the conflict, while Ukraine has been fighting a civil war that has killed over 10,000 people. However, there are some good news stories to emerge from the crisis as well. For instance, relations between Russia and NATO have improved dramatically, thanks to negotiations between Presidents Putin and Obama.
Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, relations between Russia and Ukraine have been characterised by a degree of tension. Despite this, there have been some positive developments in recent years, with both countries signing a treaty establishing an economic alliance in 2014. However, relations are currently at their lowest point since the Cold War. This is due to events in Crimea, where Russian forces annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.
Russia Ukraine News
Ukraine is facing its worst crisis in years as the country’s eastern regions declare independence and the government in Kiev struggles to keep control. The situation has drawn in Russia, which has been providing military support to the rebels and is now threatening further action if Ukraine doesn’t meet its demands. Meanwhile, the European Union is trying to find a way to help Ukraine while still maintaining sanctions against Russia.
On Feb. 27, a group of armed men seized government buildings in the Crimea region of Ukraine, which Russia annexed in 2014. The Russia Ukraine news comes as tensions between the two countries continue to rise. Russia denies any involvement in the takeover and has called for an international investigation into what happened. The event has raised concerns about the future of Ukraine, which is still struggling to recover from the war that raged there between Russian and Ukrainian forces over the past five years.
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko warned Russia on Thursday that any further incursions into its territory would be met with “a severe response.” The Ukrainian president spoke after Russian forces staged a military exercise near the border with Ukraine. Poroshenko said the Russian exercises were “an aggressive step” and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Meanwhile, Kiev accused pro-Russian separatists of firing a missile that struck a military training ground in eastern Ukraine, killing at least two soldiers.
Russia Says Ukraine Military Violating Truce
On September 5, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a statement accusing Ukraine’s military of violating a ceasefire agreement that was supposed to go into effect on September 5. According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces have fired artillery and mortars in violation of the truce agreement and attacked civilian targets. The statement also accused Ukrainian forces of using chemical weapons against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.
Ukraine’s military is violating a truce agreement that went into effect on September 5, according to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The violations reportedly include the use of artillery, armored vehicles, and aircraft in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russia has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation.
Since the beginning of the ceasefire agreement, both sides have been accused of numerous violations. On Monday, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that Ukrainian military forces are violating the truce by launching attacks on rebel-held areas. Antonov also said that Kiev is using civilians as human shields.
Kiev Keeps Up Pressure on East Ukraine
Despite the ceasefire agreement, Kiev keeps up pressure on East Ukraine. The Ukrainian army has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including summary executions and torture. Meanwhile, pro-Russian separatists continue to fire rockets across the border into Ukraine.
Ukraine’s capital Kiev has been pressing ahead with its plans to retake rebel-held eastern parts of the country, despite a ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk between the government and the separatists. Kiev has vowed to retake all of eastern Ukraine, and has been putting more troops in the area. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he is not interested in seeing Kiev succeed.
Since the annexation of Crimea in March, 2014, the Russian Federation has implemented a policy of military intervention in Ukraine that has led to a stalemate and the ongoing conflict in the east. The Kiev government has responded with a policy of economic pressure on eastern regions, hoping to force concessions from separatists. This strategy is bearing fruit as new trade routes have been established between the east and the rest of Ukraine and there are signs that separatist fighters are retreating.
Russia Denies Trying to Influence Election in Crimea
The Russian government has denied allegations that it was trying to influence the upcoming Ukrainian election in Crimea. The accusations come from the United States, which has accused Russia of being behind a cyberattack that disrupted the vote on Sunday. Moscow has denied any involvement in the attack, which officials say was carried out by Ukrainian hackers in retaliation for Russian involvement in Crimea.
Russian officials have vehemently denied claims by the United States that they are trying to influence the outcome of the Crimean referendum on whether to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. The US State Department released a statement on Wednesday accusing Russia of violating international law by meddling in the referendum, which is slated for March 16. Moscow has dismissed the accusations as unfounded and politically motivated.
Since the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, the country has vehemently denied any involvement in meddling in other countries’ elections. However, a report published last week by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleges that Russian intelligence operatives attempted to gain influence over the political process in the autonomous republic through ‘active measures’ – a clandestine campaign of disinformation and propaganda.
