Crisis in Ukraine ISSUE IN BRIEF WHO IS WHO? STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM ACTIONS
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Crisis
in
Ukraine
ISSUE IN BRIEF PG 2
WHO IS WHO? PG 3
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM PG 5
DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM PG 6
ACTIONS PG 8
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ISSUE IN BRIEF: THE SITUATION IN THE UKRAINE
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. Its present borders were set when it was a
part of the Soviet Union. Ukraine became an independent country when the USSR
dissolved in 1991. In the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, Ukraine gave up its nuclear
weapons in exchange for a commitment by Russia to respect its borders.
Although a majority of its population is ethnically and linguistically Ukrainian, a
significant minority in the south and eastern areas is linguistically and culturally Russian.
Tension escalated last November when President Yanukovych chose to reject an
important trade agreement with the EU in favor of Russian ties. Between November
and February, protests continued with increasing violence. This was especially the case in
the capital city of Ukraine, where 88 protestors were killed and many more wounded on
February 20th. Between February 22 nd -24 th , Yanukovych left the capital and
Parliament named pro-western leader Olexander Tuchynov as interim president, leading to
conflict with political forces oriented towards Russia. On March 17 th , the Parliament of
Crimea held a referendum on whether the peninsula should be part of Ukraine or Russia.
The reported outcome of the referendum was 97% of voters in favor of Russia. The next day,
March 18 th , President Putin of Russia signed a bill to absorb the Ukrainian region of
Crimea. Conflict then escalated into a virtual civil war in the eastern regions around
Donetsk and Lugansk. EU and US began to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions on
Russian businesses and individuals. On June 7 th , buissnessman Petro Poroshenko, elected
with a reprted 54% of the vote, became the new President of Ukraine. Early acts of
leadership included creating a cease fire corridor in Eastern Ukraine so that civilians could
escape armed conflict and signing an association agreement with the EU.
Since March, armed conflict between the new Ukrainian government and separatists
groups escalated in Eastern Ukraine. On September 5 th , Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels
signed a truce deal to end the five months of fighting. On September 9 th , the EU
announced a plan for more sanctions. Russia also imposed sanctions on western
businessess.
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WHO’S WHO
CURRENT LEADERS
Petro Poroshenko: Current president of the Ukraine.
Viktor Yanukovych: Fourth President of Ukraine who served from February
2010 until February 2014, when he was removed from power.
Vladimir Putin: Current President of Russia. Previously served as President
from 2000 to 2008.Most recently known for his actions against Ukraine and
Crimea.
HISTORICAL LEADERS
Josef Stalin: After Vladimir Lenin, Stalin led and eventually dictated the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) from 1922-1953. Stalin was known for his
paranoia and harsh, deadly policies.
Nikita Khrushchev: Led the USSR after Stalin from 1953 to 1964. His policies
aimed to “de-Stalinize” the Soviet Union.
GROUPS
Ukrainian protestors: Ukrainians who support a strong relationship with Europe, opposed President
Yanukovych, and helped remove him from power in February 2014.
Ukrainian rebels (also know as Separatists): Ukrainians who support a strong relationship with Russia,
supported President Yanukovych, and fight alongside Russia against the government.
NATO: Stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was created in April 1949 with three goals. First,
stopping Soviet expansion. Second, forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe with a North
Atlantic presence. And thirdly, encouraging more political integration in Europe.
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
Russia invaded eastern Ukraine and Crimea, which has led to heightened tensions between Russia, Ukraine, the
EU, and the US.
In November 2013, uprisings began in Ukraine
against its government and President Yanukovych. The
objections began over issues concerning Ukraine and the
possibility for increased European integration. President
Yanukovych refused a deal to increase the relationship
between Europe and Ukraine, which upset many western
Ukrainians.1 His decision sparked a lot of trouble because
the country is heavily divided between supporters of
Russia and Europe. In the east, people support Russia and
in the west, people support Europe. After refusing a deal
to improve relations between Ukraine and Europe, the
President further upset people when he decided to accept
a $15 billion bailout from Russia.2 Pro Europe supporters
felt betrayed and began protesting against him and also called for his removal from office. These protests
are referred to as the “Euromaiden protests.” Several major events then followed the Euromaiden protests.
Protestors were successful and ran Yanukovych out of office. This threatened Russia’s stance in
Ukraine and in effort to reclaim some of its position in Ukraine, Russia invaded and later annexed
Crimea, a southeastern territory of Ukraine. Further, pro Russian rebels began claiming other territories in
the east and fought against the Ukrainian military. In July 2014, rebels shot down Malaysian Flight 17,
which killed 298 people. When the fighting began to intensify and the rebels started to lose against the
Ukrainian military, Russia again interfered by invading eastern Ukraine and sending in their own military
forces to help the rebels.3 These events put a huge strain on the relationship between the West and Russia,
and Russia and Ukraine.
1 Max Fisher, “What is the Ukraine Crisis,” Vox, September 3, 2014, http://www.vox.com/cards/ukraine-everything-you-need-to-
know/what-is-the-ukraine-crisis.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
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DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM:
History
Politics and culture in Ukraine are heavily influenced by history. And Ukraine’s history deals significantly with
its neighbor, Russia. Since the 18th century, and brief periods after WWI, Ukraine fell under Russian control. This
was significant because it allowed a lot of Russian influence and culture to enter into the now independent country.
One in three Ukrainians speak Russian natively; one in six are ethnic Russians; and a lot of the media in the country
is broadcasted in Russian.4 As a result, many Ukrainians feel a strong connection with Russia.
During its Soviet rule, Russian leader Josef Stalin enforced harsh policies that resulted in millions of deaths
across the Soviet Union. Specifically, Stalin’s plan for collectivization, which allowed the state to take control of
agriculture and forced millions of farmers off their
lands into small, controlled areas, which killed
millions in Ukraine and the rest of the Soviet
Union. Collectivization eventually led to a
disastrous man-made famine in Ukraine from
1932-1933, killing about 10 million Ukrainians.5
The Trouble with Crimea
In addition to its troubled past and struggle for
independence from Russia, Ukraine also has a
complicated history with an area under its control
called Crimea. Crimea also has an intertwined
history with Russia. This connection with Russia
is a major cause of the conflict today. In 1783,
Russia annexed Crimea and made it part of its empire.6 After losing Crimea for a brief period after the October
Revolution, Russia once again reclaimed Crimea in 1917 and became involved in the Russian civil war. In 1921,
Russia renamed it the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.7 During World Ward II, the Crimean
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was occupied by Nazi Germany but was soon regained by the Soviets. Once
the Soviets took power back in Crimea, they forced most of the native people off the peninsula and brought in
mostly Russian people to occupy the lands, making Crimea an area full of Russian people.8 In 1954, Russia decided
to give Crimea to Ukraine. Many believe that Crimea was given to Ukraine as a gift, its people suffered a lot during
WWII. During this time, gifting Crimea to Ukraine was not thought of as a big issue because Ukraine was still
4 Max Fisher, “Is it Ukraine or the Ukraine,” Vox, http://www.vox.com/cards/ukraine-everything-you-need-to-know/is-it-ukraine-or-the-
ukraine.
5 “Ukraine Famine,” United Human Rights Council, 2014, http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/ukraine_famine.htm.
6 Max Fisher, “So should Crimea be part of Ukraine or Russia,” Vox, September 3, 2014, http://www.vox.com/cards/ukraine-everything-
you-need-to-know/so-should-crimea-be-part-of-russia-or-ukraine.
7 Adam Taylor, “To understand Crimea take a look back at its complicated history,” Washington Post, February 27, 2014,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/27/to-understand-crimea-take-a-look-back-at-its-complicated-history/.
8 Ibid.
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under Soviet control. However, in 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine became independent, which meant
that Crimea was solely under Ukrainian rule, not Russian. But during that time Russia never demanded that Crimea
be returned. The Crimean people voted to remain part of Ukraine over Russia in 1991 but held (and still hold) a
strong connection to Russia, its culture, and its language.
Economic and Military Issues
Russia is interested in more than just its history with Crimea. Control over Crimea would allow for Russia to
access the Black Sea through the Sea of Azov—the only warm water port available to Russia.9 Not only will access
to the Black Sea give Russia a warm water port, it will also give the country very
promising oil and natural gas resources. Many believe that the coast of the Black Sea is one Question to consider:
the final frontiers in the oil and natural gas industry.10 This means that if Russia controlled
the Crimean peninsula, and if it proves to be true that the Black Sea coast is full of oil, How have past events
Russia would become more wealthy and an even bigger oil exporter. Control of Crimea influenced the current
also affects the Russian Navy. Access to the Crimean Peninsula is key for their Navy situation in Ukraine
because, as mentioned before, it is the sole warm water port for Russia, allowing the Navy today?
to freely access the Black Sea, which would then lead to the Mediterranean Sea. In
addition, the Russian Navy’s Black Sea naval fleet is based in Crimea.
W hat are the arguments of each side?
Putin’s Justification
There are many reasons why Putin and separatist rebels believe that their actions in Crimea are justified. After
his reelection in 2012, many Russian people publicly expressed their concerns. Putin saw these protests to his
reelection as potentially threatening to his power and began raising ideas of nationalism to protect his position. His
actions in Crimea were an example of his attempt to raise nationalism in Russia. In addition to raising nationalism,
invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea gives Russia more territory and greater world influence. Taking Crimea
would give Russia more land, more resources, and more people, specifically the people in the eastern and southern
parts of Ukraine that identify closely with Russia.
Crimea was under Russian control for about 200 years—much longer than Ukrainian control, which is only
about 23 years. Many Russians immigrated to Crimea during Soviet rule. As a result, people who live there today
hold deep connections to the Russian culture. For these reasons, there are calls to return Crimea to Russian control.
Putin also argues that he wants to protect Russian speakers from Western conspiracies and influences.
Ukraine’s Defense
Legally, Crimea is part of Ukraine. Russia gave Crimea to Ukraine in 1991 and it has since been a
Ukrainian territory, but largely self-governed and autonomous. Soon after the Soviet Union collapsed, many
9 John Maxfield, “10 Reasons Why Russia Invaded Unkraine,” Slideshare, March 3, 2014, http://www.slideshare.net/johnmaxfield376/10-
reasons-why-russia-invaded-ukraine?redirected_from=save_on_embed.
10 Ibid.
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expected Russia to demand Crimea’s return but that never happened. Crimea even voted on the issue in 1992.
Crimea voted on the option to remain in Ukraine or rejoin Russia. A majority voted to stay in Ukraine and its
position was not questioned until recently. Large numbers of ethnic Ukrainians live in this region, too. Crimea is
also a very popular summer vacation destination for Ukrainians. While there are key towns like Sevastopol that are
very pro-Russian, large areas of Crimea are not. In the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Russia agreed to respect the
territorial integrity of Ukraine if Ukraine agreed to give up nuclear weapons. By annexing Crimea, Russia breaks
this agreement.
Sanctions
In efforts to encourage Russia to back off of Ukraine, the United States and European Union have created sanctions
against the country. The most important sanctions taken against Russia by the US and EU involve limited
borrowing from banks; limited military exports; various banned technologies and services. Most sanctions target
the Russian government, key senior officials, and large businesses that are all connected the rebels in Ukraine and
Crimea.11 These sanctions also target people in the inner circle of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although
these sanctions from the US and E.U are aimed at hurting the Russian economy, both the US and E.U. agree to
reduce or even end all sanctions if Russia shows that it is committed to creating peace with Ukraine.
Diving in a little deeper: Pro-Europe v. Pro-Russia
As mentioned above, the western part of Ukraine supports Europe, while the east supports Russia. The people in the
west who support Europe are geographically closer to the rest of Europe, and therefore experience a stronger
influence of Western and European ideas. In addition, the pro-European supporters agree with the idea of further
integrating Ukraine with the European Union, allowing them increased economic opportunities and increased
protection from Russian influences. These sentiments came together in February 2014 during the “Euromaiden
protests,” when those who supported a stronger association with Europe rose against the President and kicked him
out of power.
On the other hand, pro-Russia supporters feel threatened by increased relations with the EU and the West because it
hurts Ukraine’s friendship with Russia. A strong relationship with Europe would result in a weak relationship with
Russia. This could prove problematic because Russia would be a potentially dangerous enemy for Ukraine. Many
who are pro-Russia also feel a deep, cultural connection with Russia due to their lengthy history. Again, if Russia
became an enemy of Ukraine, their cultural connection could be jeopardized. The recent “Euromaiden protests”
have upset the Russian supporters.
11Karoun Demirjian, “EU tightens sanctions against Russian banks, defense companies, and individuals,” Washington Post, September
2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/eu-tightens-sanctions-against-russian-banks-defense-companies-and-
individuals/2014/09/11/7e92940e-39cd-11e4-9c9f-ebb47272e40e_story.html.
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ACTIONS
PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS
Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has been a strong supporter of the United Nations. Ukraine was one
the first nations to sign the UN Charter back in 1945, even though it was not yet an independent country at that
point. In addition to its membership and support of the UN, Ukraine has also partnered with NATO, the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization, in the 1990s.12 However, Ukraine is not a member of NATO. Their lack of
membership complicates the current crisis in Ukraine because it prevents NATO from fully supporting and
defending Ukraine. In 2008, Ukraine applied for NATO membership. Joining NATO would help push Russia back
from Ukraine and increase Western influence. Russia quickly expressed its disapproval and threatened that
allowing Ukraine to become a NATO member would cause Russia to view Ukraine as an enemy.13 In the end,
NATO membership was not offered to Ukraine.
The year 1954 was extremely important in Russian and Ukrainian history. During this year, Russian President
Nikita Khrushchev gave Crimea to Ukraine. When Ukraine established its independence in 1991, Crimea was still
part of Ukraine and Russia never asked it to be returned. Additionally, the Crimean people voted in 1991 on
whether to stay part of Ukraine or transfer to Russia. After voting, 54 per cent chose to stay with Ukraine. In 1997,
Ukraine and Russia signed a bilateral treaty called the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership.14 This
treaty allowed Russia to keep its naval fleet in Crimea on the coast of the Black Sea. Allowing Russia’s naval fleet
in Crimean Peninsula helped Russia keep its influence in the Crimean area. More recently, in September 2014,
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire, which helped stop the fighting between the rebels, Russians and
Ukrainian military. As Russia continues to occupy Ukraine, the UN, Europe, and US will consider creating further
sanctions against Russia.
ACTIONS TO CONSIDER
Monitor o Encourage member states to set up an international commission to monitor
(study)……………………..in order to ensure/help/prevent……………………..
o Call on the Security Council to send UN soldiers to monitor the situation
in……………………..
Send Peace o Call on the Security Council to send UN peacekeeping troops to countries
Keeping Troops where there is civil war in order to stop and protect……………………..
o
12 Adam Taylor, “That time Ukraine tried to join NATO—and NATO said no,” Washington Post, September 2014,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/09/04/that-time-ukraine-tried-to-join-nato-and-nato-said-no/.
13 Ibid.
14 “Russia’s 25,000 troop-allowance & other facts you may not know about Crimea,” RT, 2014, http://rt.com/news/russian-troops-crimea-
ukraine-816/.
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Create o Encourage member states to create sanctions on……………………..for all
Sanctions countries that fail to……………………..
Send o Encourage member states to send emergency aid to countries that have
Emergency Aid suffered……………………..
Call an o Create a summit specifically to address the topic of……………………..where all
International member states can share their ideas about……………………..
Summit
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
1. What further actions could the UN and other nations take to help Ukraine fend off Russia?
2. Did Russia have strong reason to invade and annex Crimea?
3. Should Ukraine join NATO in the future?
4. Is it best for Ukraine to remain friendly with Russia, or should it pursue stronger relations with its Western
allies?
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