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Russian Revolution.
These revolutions marked the collapse of the Russian Empire and the rise of Bolshevik power, led by Lenin. Ukraine, which was part of the Russian Empire, experienced a tumultuous period of struggle for autonomy and was eventually incorporated into the new Soviet state, which drastically altered its national and ethnic structure under a centralized communist regime. -
Creation of the Soviet Union.
With the creation of the Soviet Union, Ukraine became one of the founding republics. Despite its nominal status as an autonomous republic within the USSR, the reality was very limited autonomy, with all major political and economic decisions being made from Moscow. This laid the groundwork for future conflicts and resentment, as many policies imposed from the center did not take into account the specific needs and wishes of Ukrainians. -
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Holodomor
This period of mass starvation was the result of forced collectivization policies implemented by Stalin, which sought to transform agriculture from private ownership to collective state farms. These policies led to a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine, with millions of deaths. The Holodomor is considered by Ukraine and many other countries to be genocide, reflecting a deliberate effort by Stalin to suppress the Ukrainian population and eliminate any resistance to Sovietization. -
End of World War II
At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union established itself as one of the world's superpowers, expanding its influence over Eastern Europe and significant parts of Asia. Ukraine, which had been a crucial theater of battles between the USSR and Axis forces, came firmly under Soviet control. This period saw the forced integration of Ukraine into the Soviet political and economic model, reinforcing a centralized system that severely limited any form of Ukrainian national or cultural autonomy. -
Dissolution of the USSR.
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine seized the opportunity to declare its independence on August 24. The independence process was quickly followed by a referendum in December of the same year, where more than 90% of voters supported the decision to become a sovereign state. This moment marked a dramatic change in the region, as Ukraine began to establish its own political and economic path apart from the Soviet legacy. -
Budapest Memorandum
In an effort to ensure its sovereignty and international security, Ukraine agreed to hand over its nuclear arsenal, inherited from the Soviet Union, in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom. This agreement was crucial, as Ukraine possessed the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world at the time. -
Orange Revolution in Ukraine.
This was a turning point in Ukrainian politics, characterized by large protests and public mobilizations following the presidential elections, widely criticized for irregularities and electoral fraud favoring pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych. The Orange Revolution not only overturned the election result, but also marked a clear rejection of Russian influence and a strong push for further integration with Europe and the West. -
Beginning of the conflict un estrern Ukraine
In April 2014, shortly after the Russian annexation of Crimea, conflicts broke out in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where pro-Russian separatist groups took control of parts of those territories. This conflict has been marked by a mixture of internal strife and accusations of direct military intervention by Russia, creating a protracted and bloody conflict that persists and complicates relations between Ukraine, Russia and the international community.