The relationship between Ukraine and Russia has been shaped by a long and complex history of shared cultural, political, and territorial ties, as well as conflicts and domination. Their relationship has evolved over centuries, marked by periods of unity and cooperation, as well as tension and repression. Key stages in this relationship include the following:
1. Medieval Origins and Kyivan Rus’ (9th–13th centuries):
• Kyivan Rus’: Ukraine and Russia trace their origins to Kyivan Rus’, a powerful medieval state that emerged in the 9th century, with its capital in Kyiv (modern-day Ukraine). Kyivan Rus’ is often regarded as the cultural and political cradle of both modern Ukraine and Russia.
• Cultural and Religious Ties: The people of Kyivan Rus’ adopted Christianity from Byzantium in 988, an event that laid the foundations for the Eastern Orthodox Church in both Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv remained a major cultural and religious center.
• Decline of Kyivan Rus’: The Mongol invasion in the 13th century destroyed Kyivan Rus’, leading to its fragmentation into smaller principalities. Some of these principalities, especially in the north, evolved into the Russian state, while Kyiv fell under the influence of neighboring powers like Poland and Lithuania.
2. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Cossack Hetmanate (16th–18th centuries):
• Polish-Lithuanian Rule: In the 14th century, much of modern-day Ukraine became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Western Ukraine, in particular, was heavily influenced by Polish culture and Catholicism, in contrast to Russia’s Orthodox traditions.
• Cossacks: The Cossacks, a militarized group of free people living in southern Ukraine, played a key role in resisting foreign domination. In 1648, the Cossacks, under Bohdan Khmelnytsky, led a major uprising against Polish rule, seeking autonomy.
• Pereyaslav Agreement (1654): Seeking protection from Poland, Khmelnytsky signed the Pereyaslav Agreement with Tsarist Russia. This pact placed the Cossack Hetmanate (a semi-autonomous state in central Ukraine) under Russian protection, marking the beginning of Russian influence over Ukraine. However, the terms of the agreement and the extent of Ukraine’s autonomy became a subject of controversy and tension.
3. Russian Imperial Period (18th–19th centuries):
• Gradual Annexation: Over the 18th century, Russia expanded its control over Ukraine. In 1775, the Russian Empire under Catherine the Great abolished the Cossack Hetmanate, fully integrating Ukraine into the Russian Empire. The annexation of Crimea from the Ottoman Empire in 1783 further extended Russian control in the region.
• Russification: During the 19th century, Ukraine experienced intense efforts at Russification, aimed at suppressing Ukrainian identity, language, and culture. The use of the Ukrainian language was restricted in schools and publications, and Ukrainian national identity was largely repressed by the tsarist authorities.
• Eastern and Western Ukraine: While central and eastern Ukraine were under Russian control, western Ukraine remained under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This created distinct cultural and political differences between the regions, with western Ukraine maintaining stronger ties to Europe.
4. Ukrainian Nationalism and the Soviet Period (20th century):
• Ukrainian Independence Movements: The 19th century saw the rise of Ukrainian nationalism, with intellectuals and writers promoting Ukrainian language and culture. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Ukraine briefly declared independence as the Ukrainian People’s Republic, but it was soon embroiled in the Russian Civil War.
• Soviet Ukraine: By 1922, Ukraine was forcibly incorporated into the newly established Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Although Ukraine retained a nominal sense of autonomy, it was heavily controlled by Moscow.
• Holodomor (1932–1933): One of the darkest chapters in Ukrainian-Russian relations occurred during Stalin’s forced collectivization, which led to the Holodomor, a man-made famine in Ukraine that killed millions. Many Ukrainians view this famine as a genocide, deliberately orchestrated by Stalin to crush Ukrainian nationalism.
• World War II: During World War II, parts of Ukraine were occupied by Nazi Germany, but after the war, the entire territory returned to Soviet control. The post-war period saw further Russification and suppression of Ukrainian culture, though Ukraine became an industrial hub within the Soviet Union.
5. Late Soviet Period and Ukrainian Independence (1980s–1991):
• Dissident Movements: In the 1960s-1980s, Ukrainian dissidents began openly challenging Soviet rule, advocating for human rights and greater autonomy. By the late 1980s, during Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of perestroika and glasnost, nationalist movements in Ukraine grew stronger.
• Independence: In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine declared independence. This marked the formal separation of Ukraine from Russia, but many economic, political, and cultural ties remained.
6. Post-Soviet Period (1991–2014):
• Early Years of Independence: In the 1990s, Ukraine faced economic difficulties and political instability. Russia continued to play an influential role in Ukrainian politics, and a large Russian-speaking population, especially in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, maintained close ties with Russia.
• Tensions over NATO and EU Integration: Ukraine was divided over whether to align more closely with Russia or pursue integration with the European Union and NATO. While western Ukraine generally favored closer ties with Europe, eastern Ukraine and Crimea leaned toward Russia.
• Orange Revolution (2004): In 2004, widespread protests, known as the Orange Revolution, erupted in response to a fraudulent election in which the pro-Russian candidate, Viktor Yanukovych, claimed victory. The protests led to a re-run of the election, with the pro-Western candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, emerging as president.
7. Crisis and War (2014–Present):
• Euromaidan and Russian Annexation of Crimea (2014): In late 2013, protests broke out in Kyiv (Euromaidan) after President Yanukovych, who had shifted back toward Russia, rejected an EU association agreement. In February 2014, Yanukovych was ousted, and a new pro-Western government came to power.
• In response, Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, citing the need to protect the Russian-speaking population there. This move was condemned internationally as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
• War in Donbas: Soon after Crimea’s annexation, pro-Russian separatists, with backing from Moscow, seized control of parts of eastern Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk regions), leading to an ongoing war. Russia’s support for the separatists has led to widespread conflict and a major humanitarian crisis.
• 2022 Russian Invasion: On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a dramatic escalation of the conflict. The invasion was justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as an effort to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine, but it was widely seen as an attempt to bring Ukraine back under Russian control. The war has had devastating consequences for Ukraine and has significantly damaged relations between the two countries.
Conclusion:
The historical relationship between Ukraine and Russia has been shaped by periods of cooperation and shared history, especially during the Kyivan Rus’ era and under the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. However, it has also been marked by deep tensions, repression, and conflict, particularly over issues of Ukrainian sovereignty, national identity, and Russia’s desire to maintain its influence over Ukraine. This complex history helps explain the deep-seated divisions and ongoing conflict between the two nations today.
Ukraine war understanding © 2024 by Naccache Louann is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International 
