Russia Ukraine Incident
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, Ukraine must seek their own survival and development in the East-West political attacks. Russia wants to control Ukraine, in order to prevent North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) eastward expansion. On the other hand, NATO hopes Ukraine can act as a barrier to prevent Russian expansion. Therefore, Ukraine must consider it should be pro-Russia or pro-Europe.
Ukraine shares borders with the Russian Federation to the east and northeast and caught between Russia and European Union (EU). Also, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are to its south and southeast borders. Ukraine became a part of Soviet Union after The Ukrainian-Soviet War in 1921. Similar to Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the biggest republics of the Soviet Union. Russian is widely spoken in Ukraine, especially in southern and eastern. Many people in southern and eastern are ethnically Russian and still think they are part of Russia. According to the Ukrainian Census of 2001(State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, 2003), 77.8% of the population is Ukrainians and 17.3% is Russians. Also, 67.5% people declared Ukrainian as their first language and 29.6% declared Russian.
Crimea is located in the south of Ukraine and west of Russia. Crimea was annexed by the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine The Great in 1783. In 1954, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transfers the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine as a "gift"(BBC, 2014). When Soviet Union dissolves, Crimea remains with Ukraine. In Crimea, Ethnic Russians make up the majority of the population (70%), but with significant Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar minorities. (Radio free Europe, 2014)
After Ukrainian independence, Ukrainian constitution stipulated that Crimea would become an autonomous region, but Crimea legislation must conform to the Ukraine. However, local politicians from the Russian community in Crimea sought to
Ukraine shares borders with the Russian Federation to the east and northeast and caught between Russia and European Union (EU). Also, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are to its south and southeast borders. Ukraine became a part of Soviet Union after The Ukrainian-Soviet War in 1921. Similar to Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the biggest republics of the Soviet Union. Russian is widely spoken in Ukraine, especially in southern and eastern. Many people in southern and eastern are ethnically Russian and still think they are part of Russia. According to the Ukrainian Census of 2001(State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, 2003), 77.8% of the population is Ukrainians and 17.3% is Russians. Also, 67.5% people declared Ukrainian as their first language and 29.6% declared Russian.
Crimea is located in the south of Ukraine and west of Russia. Crimea was annexed by the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine The Great in 1783. In 1954, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transfers the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine as a "gift"(BBC, 2014). When Soviet Union dissolves, Crimea remains with Ukraine. In Crimea, Ethnic Russians make up the majority of the population (70%), but with significant Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar minorities. (Radio free Europe, 2014)
After Ukrainian independence, Ukrainian constitution stipulated that Crimea would become an autonomous region, but Crimea legislation must conform to the Ukraine. However, local politicians from the Russian community in Crimea sought to