Why Do Russia and Ukraine Hate Each Other?
Russia vs Ukraine — rising tensions and the looming threat of war
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has undergone two major revolutions: one in 2005 and another in 2014. Both revolutions aimed to denounce Russian supremacy sought to establish a place for Ukraine within the EU and NATO. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated in late 2013 and eventually resulted in the Russian annexation of Crimea, a peninsula in southern Ukraine. The annexation was considered to be illegitimate by Ukraine and most of the rest of the world.
Not long after the annexation, pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine separated from Kyiv. Heavy fighting broke out and resulted in thousands of deaths. Russia then proceeded to position its forces along the Ukrainian border, which led people to believe that they were preparing to invade Ukraine. Even though the Kremlin has repeatedly and profusely denied any such plans, Ukraine considers the move to be a significant threat.
Russia has also been vehemently against Ukraine’s aspirations to become a part of the EU and NATO; Ukraine insists that Moscow does not have the right to prevent that from happening; the Foreign Ministry has stated,
“Any Russian proposals to discuss with NATO or the US any so-called guarantees…
