The Ukrainian conflict has been escalating for a number of years. The recent Russian invasion took place on 24 February 2022. The reason for the invasion is that Belarus has allowed Russian troops to invade Ukraine from the northwest. In addition to pro-Kyiv outlets being silenced, the media landscape has changed drastically. Most media is now dominated by TV, and leading commercial networks are present. However, many local newspapers publish both Russian and Ukrainian editions.
Until the Ottoman conquest in the 14th century, most of Ukraine fell under the rule of Poland and Lithuania. After that, the Turks invaded and took control of Podolia and Crimea. By the end of the 16th century, most of Ukraine was under Russian rule. In the 1780s, the Russian Empire controlled the western parts of Ukraine and the territories of the present-day Ukraine. This period was known as the Ukrainian Wars of Independence.
Ukrainian forces have so far been successful in slowing the Russian invasion by stifling their units in smaller towns and cities. This has made street-to-street combat highly advantageous to the defenders. Ukrainian forces have also attacked Russian units on open roads and repeatedly raided their unprotected supply lines. Western intelligence agencies concluded that the Ukrainians were stalling the invasion by the middle of March. Meanwhile, Russian generals publicly declared that they never intended to take Kyiv.
The country has a large number of rivers. The Dnepr, Danube, Dniester, Pripet, and Donets Rivers are navigable. There are several hydroelectric plants located along all these rivers. All of these rivers have excellent water resources, and Ukraine is surrounded by mountainous regions. Soil conditions are usually poor and contaminated by war, and water pollution is widespread. A country with poor soil has many problems.
Ukrainian writers were influenced by the nationalism of other European nations, and became motivated to resurrect Ukrainian linguistic traditions and a national state. This nationalist movement was later dubbed as “Ukrainophilia.”
Early history of the country’s history begins with the Goths, who settled in what is now Ukraine. The Goths named this region “Oium,” which corresponds to Chernyakhov culture. In the 5th century, the Slavic tribes spread across the region and later occupied the Balkans. In the 9th century, a prince of Kyiv invaded the Byzantine Empire. He was eventually defeated in the Rus’-Byzantine War.
In the aftermath of the Russian invasion, the U.S. and European leaders stepped up their efforts to help the Ukrainian people. They backed U.S. President Joe Biden’s call for a war crimes trial for Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Russian forces retreated from eastern Ukraine over the weekend. The situation is now far from normal. If Putin is truly guilty of war crimes, he should face the consequences. There are no easy answers to the Ukrainian crisis, but there are ways to help end it peacefully.
In December 1991, Ukraine gained full independence. Its official name was changed from Soviet Russia to Ukraine. It also helped found the Commonwealth of Independent States. This is a group of former Soviet republics that have been freed from Russian rule. The current president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, continues to fight for Ukraine’s independence. He must also re-establish relations with Russia. The country’s political future is at stake, and many questions remain.