27 Years: Ukraine

  Today is Ukrainian Independence Day (День незалежності України)    

    27 Years of Ukrainian Independence

-    August 24, 1991: The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic declares independence from the     Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
 -     December 1, 1991: 90% of Ukrainian citizens vote to formalize independence.
-       December 2, 1991: Independent Ukraine officially recognized by: Poland, Canada and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.)

-          December 12, 1991: The Belavezha Accords – which Russia, Belarus and Ukraine signed 4 days earlier  - comes into effect. A rump Soviet State continues until December 26^th.

-          December 25, 1991: The United States officially recognizes an independent Ukraine.

-          December 26, 1991: Collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 

-          1994: Ukraine signs a treaty with NATO and agrees to dismantle its nuclear arsenal in return Russia agrees not to interfere on Ukrainian territory.

-          1996: New democratic constitution adopted; Hryvna currency is introduced.

-          1997: Ukraine and Russia sign a friendship treaty; Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement on the Black Sea fleet. Russia promises to respect Ukrainian territory and never invade it.

-          November 2004 to January 2005: The Orange Revolution occurs when pro-Russia candidate, Viktor Yanukovych, becomes President of the Ukraine – due to Russian interference and Ukrainian corruption - instead of the pro-West candidate, Viktor Yushchenko. Up to 1 million people protest in Kyiv and 18% of all Ukrainians nation-wide. Yanukovych is removed from office and Yushchenko becomes President.

-          2010: Viktor Yanukovych becomes President of Ukraine (because of new term-limits forcing Yushchenko out of the elections.)

-          2010: Russia and Ukraine sign agreement to extend Russia's lease on the Black Sea fleet base in Sevastopol in Crimea for 25 years. Russia again promises to never invade Ukrainian territory.

-          February 18-23, 2014: EuroMaiden Revolution occurs when Yuschenko announces he is moving Ukraine closer to Russia and away from NATO and the West. 800,000 people protest in Kyiv with thousands more people protesting across Ukraine. Yushchenko forces kill 113 people and injure 1,811 with 13 Government forces killed. Yushchenko flees to Russia to avoid trial for the murder of innocent civilians where he is granted asylum.

-          February 20, 2014: Russia invades Crimea (despite the 1994, 1997 and 2010 agreements stating that Russia would never invade or interfere in Ukraine.)

-          March 6, 2014: The first American sanctions against Russian involvement in Crimea are created (created the 2014-2017 Russian financial crisis.)

-          March 16, 2014: With Russian troops on the ground and Russian guns pointing at them the people of Crimea vote to join the Russian Federation (not recognized by Ukraine or the international community.)

-          March 18, 2014: Russia annexes Crimea forcing the occupied territory to use the Russian Language, the Russian Ruble, switch to Moscow Time, made all men join the Russian Military (the Ukrainian Military had done away with Conscription), switch to the Russian Education System and turn in their Ukrainian internal passports and citizenship for Russian internal passports and citizenship. Anyone who refused to do any of the following or who used the Ukrainian Language or the Tartar Language was arrested and sent to Russia. The overt discrimination of the ethnic Ukrainians and the ethnic Tartars in Crimea is encouraged by the Russian occupiers.

-          March 27, 2014: UN General Assembly approved Resolution 68/262 describing the referendum leading to annexation of Crimea by Russia as illegal.

-          April 6, 2014: Russia sends military supplies to ethnic Russians in the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine so they can fight the Ukrainian Government.

-          August 2014- Present: Russia sends 12,000 troops and military supplies to fight the Ukrainian Government forces in the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine.

-          May 15, 2015: Lustration laws approved in Ukraine to rename Communist/Soviet era places and remove Communist/Soviet era monuments and statues.

-          2016: 51,493 streets and 987 cities and villages were renamed from Communist/Soviet era names, and 1,320 Lenin monuments and 1,069 monuments to other communist figures removed.

-          September 1, 2017: Ukrainians gain visa-free travel to the 26 countries of the Shengen Area in Europe (Ukrainians now have visa-free access to 128 countries.)

-          March 2, 2018: The EU updated its list of sanctioned individuals and extended the existing sanctions on 150 individuals and 38 companies in Crimea and in Russia.

-          August 2018: In the four years of fighting in the Donbas: 2,423 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed (6,820 wounded and 2,768 captured and sent to Russia), 4,096 Russian soldiers have been killed and 8,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 1,414,798 Ukrainian civilians are internally displaced.

^ Not many countries have done or could do what Ukraine has done in 27 years. They helped to overthrow a Soviet Dictatorship. They overthrew a corrupt Presidential Dictatorship. They have gone from a backwater/corrupt country to a modern/democratic country open to the rest of the world all while part of their territory (Crimea) is annexed by Russia and another part of their territory (the Donbas) is fighting Russia with little to no outside help. ^