Russia–Ukraine relations
Encyclopedia
Russia–Ukraine relations were established in 1991 immediately upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union
of which both were founding constituent republics.
Russia has an embassy
in Kiev
and consulates in Kharkiv
, Lviv
, Odessa
and Simferopol
. Ukraine has an embassy
in Moscow
and consulates in Rostov-on-Don
, Saint Petersburg
, Tyumen
and Vladivostok
.
Relations between the two country's Governments were hostile during the (Ukrainian) Presidency of Viktor Yushchenko
(2005–2010). Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin
allegedly declared at a NATO-Russia summit in 2008 that, if Ukraine were to join NATO, his country could contend to annex the Ukrainian East
and Crimea
. Some analysts believe that the current Russian leadership is determined to prevent an equivalent of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution
in Russia. This perspective is supposed to explain not only Russian domestic policy but its sensitivity to events abroad. Many in Ukraine and beyond believe that Russia has periodically used its vast energy resources
to bully its smaller, dependent neighbour, but the Russian Government argues instead that it was the internal squabbling amongst Ukraine's political
elite that is to blame for the deadlock. Since the election
of Viktor Yanukovych
as Ukrainian President in early 2010 the relations between the two nations have improved.
, the modern capital of Ukraine, is often referred to as a mother of Russian Cities or a cradle of the Rus' civilisation
owing to the once powerful Kievan Rus'
state, a predecessor of both Russian and Ukrainian nations.
After the Mongol invasion of Rus
the histories of the Russian and Ukrainian people's started to diverge. The former, having successfully united all the remnants of the Rus' northern provinces, swelled into a powerful Russian state
. The latter came under the domination of Poland but the increasing pressure of Poland caused the Zaporozhian Cossacks to seek union with Russia via the Treaty of Pereyaslav
.
Afterward, most of Ukraine was gradually absorbed into the Russian Empire
, which was completed in the late 18th century with the Partitions of Poland
and the disbandment of the last Cossack units. Many people born in Ukraine, then called Little Russia
, had powerful positions in the Russian Empire
.
After the February Revolution
early relations with Russian Provisional Government
and the Ukrainian Central Rada were the borders of the Ukrainian People's Republic
, as over the three centuries of Ukraine being part of Russia several mixed Russian and Ukrainian territories were formed. The Sloboda region
to the northeast, the Donets Basin
to the east and the New Russia to the south. After the October Revolution
, Ukraine became a battleground in the Russian Civil War
and both Russians and Ukrainians fought in nearly all armies based on their political belief.
In 1922, Ukraine and Russia were two of the founding members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and were the signatories of the treaty that terminated the union in December 1991.
After both Ukraine and Russia terminated the union several acute disputes formed. The former one was the question of the Crimea
which the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had administered since 1954. This however was largely resolved in an agreement that allowed for Crimea to remain part of Ukraine, provided its Autonomous Republic
status is preserved.
The second major dispute of the 1990s was the city of Sevastopol
, with its base of the Black Sea Fleet
. Unlike the rest of the Crimea peninsula, the city of Sevastopol carried a special status within the Soviet Union. During the fall of the Soviet state the city along with the rest of Ukraine participated in the national referendum for independence of Ukraine where 58% of its population voted for the succession of the city in favour of the Ukrainian state, yet the Supreme Soviet of Russia
voted to reclaim the city as its territory in 1993 (a vote unrecognised by Boris Yeltsin
, at the time the Russian parliament and president were at a political stand-off). After several years of intense negotiations, in 1997 the whole issue was decided on the Black Sea Fleet
partitioning and leasing some of the naval bases in Sevastopol to the Russian Navy until 2017.
Another major dispute became the energy supply problems as several Soviet-Western Europe oil and gas pipelines ran through Ukraine. According to the Russian internet-newspaper Gazeta.ru, in the 1990s Leonid Kuchma in the interview with Spiegel
acknowledged the fact that Ukraine siphoned off Russian gas,. Later after new treaties came into effect, the enormous debts were paid off by transfer of several Soviet weaponry and nuclear arsenals that Ukraine inherited, to Russia such as the Tu-160 bombers.
During the 1990s both countries along with other ex-Soviet states founded the Commonwealth of Independent States
and large business partnerships came into effect.
Although disputes prior to the Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
were present including the accidental shooting down
of a Siberia Airlines Tupolev Tu-154
in 2002 by the Ukrainian air defence and the controversy with the Tuzla Island
, relations with Russia under the latter years of Leonid Kuchma
improved. In 2002 the Russian Government took part in financing the construction of the Khmelnytsky
and the Rivne nuclear power plants
. However, after the Orange Revolution
several problems resurfaced including a gas dispute
, and Ukraine's potential NATO membership.
Today Russia remains Ukraine's biggest economic partner, Ukraine's tourist industry
is heavily dependent on Russian tourists, and Russia's economy
also depends on Ukrainian migrant workers. The overall perception of relations with Russia in Ukraine differs largely on regional factors. Many Russophone
eastern and southern regions, which are also home to the majority of the Russian diaspora in Ukraine
welcome closer relations with Russia. However further central and particularly western regions (who were never a part of Imperial Russia) of Ukraine show a less friendly attitude to the idea of a historic link to Russia and the Soviet Union
in particular. In Russia, there is no regional breakdown in the opinion of Ukraine, but on the whole, Ukraine's recent attempts to joint the EU and NATO
were seen as change of course to only a pro-Western, anti-Russian orientation of Ukraine and thus a sign of hostility and this resulted in a drop of Ukraine's perception in Russia
(although Ukrainian President
Yushchenko
reassured Russia that joining NATO it is not meant as an anti-Russian act). This was further fuelled by the public discussion in Ukraine of whether the Russian language
should be given official status and be made the second state language. During the 2009 gas conflict
the Russian media almost uniformly portrayed Ukraine as an aggressive and greedy state that wanted to ally with Russia’s enemies and exploit cheap Russian gas.
Further worsening relations were provoking statements by both Russian (a.o. the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov and then President Vladimir Putin
) and Ukrainian politicians, for example, the former Foreign Minister
Borys Tarasiuk, deputy Justice Minister
of Ukraine Evhen Kornichuk and then leader of parliament
ary opposition Yulia Tymoshenko
.
The status of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
in Sevastopol
remains a matter of disagreement and tensions.
Second Tymoshenko Government
In February 2008 Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Ukrainian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on SPRN signed in 1997.
During the 2008 South Ossetia war
, relations between Ukraine and Russia soured, due to Ukraine's support and selling of arms to Georgia
. According to a Russian Investigative Committee 200 members of the Ukrainian UNA-UNSO
and "full-time servicemen of the Ukrainian army" aided Georgian forces during the fighting. Ukraine denied the accusation. Further disagreements over the position on Georgia and relations with Russia were among the issues that brought down the Our Ukraine-Peoples Self Defence + Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko coalition
in the Ukrainian parliament during September 2008 (on December 16, 2008 the coalition did remerge with a new coalition partner, the Lytvyn Bloc).
During the 2008 South Ossetia war relations with Russia also deteriorated over the new rules for the Russian Black Sea Fleet to obtain permission when crossing the Ukrainian border, which Russia refused to comply with.
On October 2, 2008 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of supplying arms to Georgia in the recent South Ossetia War. Putin also claimed that Moscow had evidence proving that Ukrainian military experts were present in the conflict zone during the war. Ukraine has denied the allegations. The head of its state arms export company, Ukrspetsexport, said no arms were sold during the war, and Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov
denied that Ukraine's military personnel fought on the side of Georgia. General Prosecutor of Ukraine confirmed on September 25, 2009 that there was no personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces participated in the 2008 South Ossetia War
, no weapons or military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were present at the conflict, and no help was given to the Georgian side. Also in the declaration the Ukrainian officials informed that the international transfers of the military specialization equipment between Ukraine and Georgia during the 2006-2008 were conducted in accordance with the earlier established contracts, the laws of Ukraine, and the international treaties.
Russia's is heavily opposed to Ukraine and Georgia becoming members of NATO.
According to a document uncovered during the United States diplomatic cables leak
Putin “implicitly challenged" the territorial integrity of Ukraine
at the April 4, 2008, NATO-Russia Council Summit in Bucharest
, Romania
.
During a January 2009 dispute about natural gas prices supplies of Russian natural gas
through Ukraine
were shut. Relations further deteriorated when Russian Prime Minister Putin during this dispute said that "Ukrainian political leadership is demonstrating its inability to solve economic problems, and [...] situation highlights the high criminalization of [Ukrainian] authorities" and when in February 2009 (after the conflict) Ukrainian President Yushchenko and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
considered Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
's statement that Ukraine must compensate for gas crisis losses to the European countries an "emotional statement which is unfriendly and hostile towards Ukraine and the EU member-states
". During the conflict the Russian media almost uniformly portrayed Ukraine as an aggressive and greedy state that wanted to ally with Russia’s enemies and exploit cheap Russian gas.
After a "master plan" to modernize the natural gas infrastructure of Ukraine between the EU and Ukraine was announced (on March 23, 2009) Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko
told an investment conference at which the plan was unveiled that it appeared to draw Ukraine legally closer to the European Union
and might harm Moscow's interests. According to Putin "to discuss such issues without the basic supplier is simply not serious".
In a January 2009 US diplomatic cable (as revealed by WikiLeaks
as a part of its United States diplomatic cables leak
) (then) Ambassador of Ukraine to Russia Kostyantyn Hryshchenko stated that Kremlin leaders wanted to see a totally subservient to Moscow regency
in Ukraine and that Putin “hated” then-President Yushchenko and had a low personal regard for Viktor Yanukovych
but saw then-Prime Minister Tymoshenko as someone perhaps not that he can trust, but with whom he can deal.
On 11 August 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
posted a videoblog on the Kremlin.ru website, and the official Kremlin LiveJournal
blog
, in which he attacked Viktor Yushchenko, for what Medvedev claims is the Ukrainian President's responsibility in the souring of Russia–Ukraine relations and "the anti-Russian position of the current Ukrainian authorities". As a result of this alleged anti-Russian sentiment, Medvedev announced that he would not appoint a new Russian ambassador to Ukraine until such time as there was an improvement in the relationship. In response to this letter by his Russian counterpart Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
wrote a letter back in which noted he could not agree that the Ukrainian-Russian relations had run into problems and wondered why the Russian President completely rules out the Russian responsibility thereupon. Analysts said Medvedev's message was timed to influence the campaign for the Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
. The U.S. Department of State (in response to the videoblog) said it was "not sure that these comments are necessarily" and also stated "Ukraine has a right to make its own choices, and we feel that it has a right to join NATO if it chooses" (the United States
has supported Ukraine’s bid to join NATO despite Russia’s objections since the Ukrainian governments proposal to join the NATO Membership Action Plan in January 2008).
On October 7, 2009 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented that the Russian Government wants to see economy prevail in Russian-Ukrainian relations and that relations between the two countries would improve if the two countries would set up joint ventures, especially in small
and medium-sized businesses. At the same meeting in Kharkiv
Lavrov stated that the Russian Government will not response to a Ukrainian proposal to organize a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, but that "Contacts between the two countries' foreign ministries are being maintained permanently."
On December 2, 2009 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov agreed on gradually abandoning the compilation of lists of individuals banned from entering their countries.
On April 22, 2010 Presidents Viktor Yanukovych
and Dmitry Medvedev
signed an agreement concerning renting of the Russian Naval Forces
base in Sevastopol
in the next 25 years for the natural gas discounts in deliveries which accounted for $100 per each 1,000 cubic meters.
On May 17, 2010, the President of Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev
arrived to Kiev
on the two day visit. During the visit Medvedev hoped to sign cooperation agreements in inter-regional and international problems, according to RIA Novosti. That also was mentioned on the official inquiry at the Verkhovna Rada
by the First Deputy prime-minister Andriy Kliuyev. According to some news agencies the main purpose of the visit was to solve the disagreements in the Russian-Ukrainian energy relations after Viktor Yanukovych
agreed on the partial merger of Gazprom
and Naftogaz.
Apart from the merger of the state gas companies there are also talks of the merger of the nuclear energy sector as well.
Both Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
(April 2010) and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
(June 2010) have stated they noticed a big improvement in relations since Viktor Yanukovych Presidency.
Polls in Russia have shown that after top Russia’s officials made radical statements or took drastic actions against Ukraine the attitude of those polled towards Ukraine worsened (every time). The issues that have "hurt" Russians’ view of Ukraine are:
According to experts the Russian Government likes to cultivate the image "Ukraine is an enemy" to cover up its own internal mistakes. Analysts like Philip P. Pan (writing for the Washington Post
) have argued that Russian media portray the Government of Ukraine
as anti-Russian.
Note: 80% had a “good or very good” attitude towards Belarus
during 2009.
Parallel polls released on November 5, 2009 showed that about 67% of Ukrainians think the relationship should be a friendship between “two independent states”, while 55% of those polled in Russia share that concept.
Polls in Russia in the 1990s showed that an majority of Russians could not accept the dissolution of the Soviet Union
and the independence of Ukraine. According to a 2006 poll by VCIOM
66% of all Russians regretted the collapse of the Soviet Union. 50% of respondents in Ukraine in a similar poll held in February 2005 stated they regret the disintegration of the Soviet Union. In 2005 (71%) and 2007 (48%) polls Russians expressed a wish to unify with Ukraine; although a unification solely with Belarus
was more popular.
Late 20th century there were still members of the Russia
n political elite that claimed that Ukrainian
is a Russian dialect and that Ukraine (and Belarus
) should become part of the Russian Federation. In a June 2010 interview Mikhail Zurabov
, then Russian ambassador to Ukraine, stated "Russians and Ukrainians are a single nation with some nuances and peculiarities". A late 2011 poll by Levada Center
showed 53% of polled Russians preferred friendship with an independent Ukraine and 33% did prefer Ukraine to be under Russia's economic and political control (15% was undecided).
Although a large majority of Ukrainians voted for independence in December 1991
the following years the Russian press
portrayed the independence Ukraine as the work of "nationalists
" who “twisted” the "correct" instincts of the masses according to a 1996 study. The study argues that as a result of this the presumption in the Russian popular opinion became that the Ukrainian political elite
is the only thing standing in between the "heartfelt wish of the Ukrainians" to reunite with Russia.
Ukrainian history is not threaded as a separate subject on leading Russian University's but rather incorporated in the history of Russia
.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
of which both were founding constituent republics.
Russia has an embassy
Embassy of Russia in Kiev
The Embassy of Russia in Kiev is the diplomatic mission of the Russian Federation to Ukraine. The chancery is located at 27 Povitroflotskyi Prospekt in Ukraine's capital Kiev....
in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and consulates in Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
, Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
and Simferopol
Simferopol
-Russian Empire and Civil War:The city was renamed Simferopol in 1784 after the annexation of the Crimean Khanate to the Russian Empire by Catherine II of Russia. The name Simferopol is derived from the Greek, Συμφερόπολις , translated as "the city of usefulness." In 1802, Simferopol became the...
. Ukraine has an embassy
Embassy of Ukraine in Moscow
The Embassy of the Republic of Ukraine in Moscow is the chief diplomatic mission of Ukraine in the Russian Federation. It is located at 18 Leontyevsky Lane in the Presnensky District of Moscow.- External links :...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and consulates in Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Tyumen
Tyumen
Tyumen is the largest city and the administrative center of Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow. Population: Tyumen is the oldest Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 16th century to support Russia's eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most...
and Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
.
Relations between the two country's Governments were hostile during the (Ukrainian) Presidency of Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
(2005–2010). Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Russia
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
allegedly declared at a NATO-Russia summit in 2008 that, if Ukraine were to join NATO, his country could contend to annex the Ukrainian East
East Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine is a geographical term and generally includes territories of Ukraine east of Dnieper river, particularly Sloboda Ukraine, Donets basin, Left-bank Ukraine, the continental part of a historical land of Taurida.-See also:*Novorossiya...
and Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. Some analysts believe that the current Russian leadership is determined to prevent an equivalent of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
in Russia. This perspective is supposed to explain not only Russian domestic policy but its sensitivity to events abroad. Many in Ukraine and beyond believe that Russia has periodically used its vast energy resources
Energy policy of Russia
The Energy policy of Russia is contained in an Energy Strategy document, which sets out policy for the period up to 2020. In 2000 the Russian government approved the main provisions of the Russian energy strategy to 2020, and in 2003 the new Russian energy strategy was confirmed by the government...
to bully its smaller, dependent neighbour, but the Russian Government argues instead that it was the internal squabbling amongst Ukraine's political
Politics of Ukraine
Politics of Ukraine take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the parliament...
elite that is to blame for the deadlock. Since the election
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
of Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
as Ukrainian President in early 2010 the relations between the two nations have improved.
History of relations
Ukraine and Russia share much of their history. KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, the modern capital of Ukraine, is often referred to as a mother of Russian Cities or a cradle of the Rus' civilisation
Rus' (people)
The Rus' were a group of Varangians . According to the Primary Chronicle of Rus, compiled in about 1113 AD, the Rus had relocated from the Baltic region , first to Northeastern Europe, creating an early polity which finally came under the leadership of Rurik...
owing to the once powerful Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
state, a predecessor of both Russian and Ukrainian nations.
After the Mongol invasion of Rus
Mongol invasion of Rus
The Mongol invasion of Russia was resumed on 21 December 1237 marking the resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked the medieval powers of Poland, Kiev, Hungary, and miscellaneous tribes of less organized peoples...
the histories of the Russian and Ukrainian people's started to diverge. The former, having successfully united all the remnants of the Rus' northern provinces, swelled into a powerful Russian state
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia was the name of the centralized Russian state from Ivan IV's assumption of the title of Tsar in 1547 till Peter the Great's foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721.From 1550 to 1700, Russia grew 35,000 km2 a year...
. The latter came under the domination of Poland but the increasing pressure of Poland caused the Zaporozhian Cossacks to seek union with Russia via the Treaty of Pereyaslav
Treaty of Pereyaslav
The Treaty of Pereyaslav is known in history more as the Council of Pereiaslav.Council of Pereyalslav was a meeting between the representative of the Russian Tsar, Prince Vasili Baturlin who presented a royal decree, and Bohdan Khmelnytsky as the leader of Cossack Hetmanate. During the council...
.
Afterward, most of Ukraine was gradually absorbed into the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, which was completed in the late 18th century with the Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
and the disbandment of the last Cossack units. Many people born in Ukraine, then called Little Russia
Little Russia
Little Russia , sometimes Little or Lesser Rus’ , is a historical political and geographical term in the Russian language referring to most of the territory of modern-day Ukraine before the 20th century. It is similar to the Polish term Małopolska of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
, had powerful positions in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
After the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
early relations with Russian Provisional Government
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
and the Ukrainian Central Rada were the borders of the Ukrainian People's Republic
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:...
, as over the three centuries of Ukraine being part of Russia several mixed Russian and Ukrainian territories were formed. The Sloboda region
Sloboda Ukraine
Sloboda Ukraine was a historical region which developed and flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries on the southwestern frontier of the Tsardom of Russia....
to the northeast, the Donets Basin
Donets Basin
Donbas or Donbass , full rarely-used name Donets Basin , is a historical, economic and cultural region of eastern Ukraine. Originally a coal mining area, it has become a heavily industrialised territory suffering from urban decay and industrial pollution.-Geography:Donbas covers three...
to the east and the New Russia to the south. After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, Ukraine became a battleground in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
and both Russians and Ukrainians fought in nearly all armies based on their political belief.
In 1922, Ukraine and Russia were two of the founding members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and were the signatories of the treaty that terminated the union in December 1991.
The 1990s
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
which the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had administered since 1954. This however was largely resolved in an agreement that allowed for Crimea to remain part of Ukraine, provided its Autonomous Republic
Autonomous republic
An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...
status is preserved.
The second major dispute of the 1990s was the city of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
, with its base of the Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
. Unlike the rest of the Crimea peninsula, the city of Sevastopol carried a special status within the Soviet Union. During the fall of the Soviet state the city along with the rest of Ukraine participated in the national referendum for independence of Ukraine where 58% of its population voted for the succession of the city in favour of the Ukrainian state, yet the Supreme Soviet of Russia
Supreme Soviet of Russia
The Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR , later Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation was the supreme government institution of the Russian SFSR in 1938–1990; in 1990–1993 it was a permanent parliament, elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation.The Supreme Soviet of...
voted to reclaim the city as its territory in 1993 (a vote unrecognised by Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
, at the time the Russian parliament and president were at a political stand-off). After several years of intense negotiations, in 1997 the whole issue was decided on the Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
partitioning and leasing some of the naval bases in Sevastopol to the Russian Navy until 2017.
Another major dispute became the energy supply problems as several Soviet-Western Europe oil and gas pipelines ran through Ukraine. According to the Russian internet-newspaper Gazeta.ru, in the 1990s Leonid Kuchma in the interview with Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
acknowledged the fact that Ukraine siphoned off Russian gas,. Later after new treaties came into effect, the enormous debts were paid off by transfer of several Soviet weaponry and nuclear arsenals that Ukraine inherited, to Russia such as the Tu-160 bombers.
During the 1990s both countries along with other ex-Soviet states founded the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
and large business partnerships came into effect.
2000s
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
were present including the accidental shooting down
Siberia Airlines Flight 1812
Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 crashed over the Black Sea on 4 October 2001, en route from Tel Aviv, Israel to Novosibirsk, Russia. The plane, a Soviet-made Tupolev Tu-154, carried an estimated 66 passengers and 12 crew members. No one on board survived...
of a Siberia Airlines Tupolev Tu-154
Tupolev Tu-154
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
in 2002 by the Ukrainian air defence and the controversy with the Tuzla Island
Tuzla Island
Tuzla Spit Island is a sandy islet in a form of a spit located in the middle of the Strait of Kerch between the Kerch Peninsula in the west and the Taman Peninsula in the east.-Conflict:...
, relations with Russia under the latter years of Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...
improved. In 2002 the Russian Government took part in financing the construction of the Khmelnytsky
Khmelnitskiy Nuclear Power Plant
The Khmelnitskiy Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant in Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. The plant is operated by Energoatom. Two VVER-1000 reactors are operational, each generating 1000 MW of electricity. Construction of the first reactor started in 1981 and the first unit was put in...
and the Rivne nuclear power plants
Rivne Nuclear Power Plant
The Rivne Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant in Kuznetsovsk, Rivne Oblast, Ukraine.It has four reactors: -External links:* *...
. However, after the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
several problems resurfaced including a gas dispute
Russia-Ukraine gas dispute
The Russia–Ukraine gas disputes refer to a number of disputes between Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy and Russian gas supplier Gazprom over natural gas supplies, prices, and debts...
, and Ukraine's potential NATO membership.
Today Russia remains Ukraine's biggest economic partner, Ukraine's tourist industry
Tourism in Ukraine
Ukraine attracts more than 20 million foreign citizens every year . Visitors primarily come from Eastern Europe, but also from Western Europe and USA and also Canada. The country is the 8th most popular tourism destination in Europe.Ukraine is a destination on the crossroads between central and...
is heavily dependent on Russian tourists, and Russia's economy
Economy of Russia
The economy of Russia is the eleventh largest economy in the world by nominal value and the sixth largest by purchasing power parity . Russia has an abundance of natural gas, oil, coal, and precious metals...
also depends on Ukrainian migrant workers. The overall perception of relations with Russia in Ukraine differs largely on regional factors. Many Russophone
Russophone
A Russophone is literally a speaker of the Russian language either natively or by preference. At the same time the term is used in a more specialized meaning to describe the category of people whose cultural background is associated with Russian language regardless of ethnic and territorial...
eastern and southern regions, which are also home to the majority of the Russian diaspora in Ukraine
Russians in Ukraine
Russians in Ukraine form the largest ethnic minority in the country, and the community forms the largest single Russian diaspora in the world. In the 2001 Ukrainian census, 8,334,100 identified themselves as ethnic Russians ....
welcome closer relations with Russia. However further central and particularly western regions (who were never a part of Imperial Russia) of Ukraine show a less friendly attitude to the idea of a historic link to Russia and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in particular. In Russia, there is no regional breakdown in the opinion of Ukraine, but on the whole, Ukraine's recent attempts to joint the EU and NATO
NATO-Ukrainian relations
The Ukraine and North Atlantic Treaty Organization relations started in 1995. Ukraine is as of January 2008 a candidate to join the NATO Membership Action Plan . On December 3, 2008 NATO decided it will work out an Annual National Programme of providing assistance to Ukraine to implement reforms...
were seen as change of course to only a pro-Western, anti-Russian orientation of Ukraine and thus a sign of hostility and this resulted in a drop of Ukraine's perception in Russia
Anti-Ukrainian sentiment
Anti-Ukrainian sentiment or Ukrainophobia is animosity towards Ukrainians, Ukrainian culture, language or Ukraine as a nation. It is widely present in Poland and in the former Soviet Union, mainly in the Russian Federation and in some parts of Eastern Ukraine...
(although Ukrainian President
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
reassured Russia that joining NATO it is not meant as an anti-Russian act). This was further fuelled by the public discussion in Ukraine of whether the Russian language
Russian language in Ukraine
Russian is a minority language in Ukraine It is the most common first language in Donbass and Crimea regions, the predominant language in large cities in the East and South of the country...
should be given official status and be made the second state language. During the 2009 gas conflict
2009 Russia–Ukraine gas dispute
The Russia–Ukraine gas dispute of 2009 was a pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine that occurred when Russian natural gas company Gazprom refused to conclude a supply contract for 2009 unless Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz paid its accumulating debts for previous gas supplies...
the Russian media almost uniformly portrayed Ukraine as an aggressive and greedy state that wanted to ally with Russia’s enemies and exploit cheap Russian gas.
Further worsening relations were provoking statements by both Russian (a.o. the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov and then President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
) and Ukrainian politicians, for example, the former Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is the Ukrainian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine.-Historical overlook:...
Borys Tarasiuk, deputy Justice Minister
Justice Minister
A justice ministry is a ministry or other government agency charged with justice. The ministry is often headed by a minister for justice or secretary of justice or secretary for justice; sometimes the head of a department of justice is entitled attorney general.Specific duties may relate to...
of Ukraine Evhen Kornichuk and then leader of parliament
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
ary opposition Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
.
The status of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
in Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
remains a matter of disagreement and tensions.
Recent years
Second Tymoshenko GovernmentSecond Tymoshenko GovernmentThe second Tymoshenko Government was appointed on December 18, 2007 as a coalition between Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko and Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc , OU-PSD is the party of then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, following the 2007 Ukrainian parliamentary election...
In February 2008 Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Ukrainian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on SPRN signed in 1997.
During the 2008 South Ossetia war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, relations between Ukraine and Russia soured, due to Ukraine's support and selling of arms to Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. According to a Russian Investigative Committee 200 members of the Ukrainian UNA-UNSO
UNA-UNSO
The UNA-UNSO , is the most prominent nationalist political organization in Ukraine.-History:...
and "full-time servicemen of the Ukrainian army" aided Georgian forces during the fighting. Ukraine denied the accusation. Further disagreements over the position on Georgia and relations with Russia were among the issues that brought down the Our Ukraine-Peoples Self Defence + Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko coalition
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
in the Ukrainian parliament during September 2008 (on December 16, 2008 the coalition did remerge with a new coalition partner, the Lytvyn Bloc).
During the 2008 South Ossetia war relations with Russia also deteriorated over the new rules for the Russian Black Sea Fleet to obtain permission when crossing the Ukrainian border, which Russia refused to comply with.
On October 2, 2008 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of supplying arms to Georgia in the recent South Ossetia War. Putin also claimed that Moscow had evidence proving that Ukrainian military experts were present in the conflict zone during the war. Ukraine has denied the allegations. The head of its state arms export company, Ukrspetsexport, said no arms were sold during the war, and Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov
Yuriy Yekhanurov
Yuriy Ivanovych Yekhanurov is a Ukrainian politician who was Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2005 to 2006 and Minister of Defense in from 2007 to 2009...
denied that Ukraine's military personnel fought on the side of Georgia. General Prosecutor of Ukraine confirmed on September 25, 2009 that there was no personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces participated in the 2008 South Ossetia War
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, no weapons or military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were present at the conflict, and no help was given to the Georgian side. Also in the declaration the Ukrainian officials informed that the international transfers of the military specialization equipment between Ukraine and Georgia during the 2006-2008 were conducted in accordance with the earlier established contracts, the laws of Ukraine, and the international treaties.
Russia's is heavily opposed to Ukraine and Georgia becoming members of NATO.
According to a document uncovered during the United States diplomatic cables leak
United States diplomatic cables leak
The United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began in February 2010 when WikiLeaks—a non-profit organization that publishes submissions from anonymous whistleblowers—began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates,...
Putin “implicitly challenged" the territorial integrity of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
at the April 4, 2008, NATO-Russia Council Summit in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
During a January 2009 dispute about natural gas prices supplies of Russian natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
through Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
were shut. Relations further deteriorated when Russian Prime Minister Putin during this dispute said that "Ukrainian political leadership is demonstrating its inability to solve economic problems, and [...] situation highlights the high criminalization of [Ukrainian] authorities" and when in February 2009 (after the conflict) Ukrainian President Yushchenko and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is the Ukrainian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine.-Historical overlook:...
considered Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
's statement that Ukraine must compensate for gas crisis losses to the European countries an "emotional statement which is unfriendly and hostile towards Ukraine and the EU member-states
Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
". During the conflict the Russian media almost uniformly portrayed Ukraine as an aggressive and greedy state that wanted to ally with Russia’s enemies and exploit cheap Russian gas.
After a "master plan" to modernize the natural gas infrastructure of Ukraine between the EU and Ukraine was announced (on March 23, 2009) Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko
Sergei Shmatko
Sergei Ivanovich Shmatkó is a Russian businessman and politician specializing in the energy industry. Since May 2008, he is the Minister of Energy.-Early life:Shmatko was born in Stavropol...
told an investment conference at which the plan was unveiled that it appeared to draw Ukraine legally closer to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and might harm Moscow's interests. According to Putin "to discuss such issues without the basic supplier is simply not serious".
In a January 2009 US diplomatic cable (as revealed by WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
as a part of its United States diplomatic cables leak
United States diplomatic cables leak
The United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began in February 2010 when WikiLeaks—a non-profit organization that publishes submissions from anonymous whistleblowers—began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates,...
) (then) Ambassador of Ukraine to Russia Kostyantyn Hryshchenko stated that Kremlin leaders wanted to see a totally subservient to Moscow regency
Regency
Regency is the rule of a regent. It may also refer to:* Specific periods when a throne was vacant:** Regency in France, 1715–1723, a.k.a. Régence** British Regency, 1811–1820*The Hōjō Regency during the Kamakura shogunate in Japan.- Other:...
in Ukraine and that Putin “hated” then-President Yushchenko and had a low personal regard for Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
but saw then-Prime Minister Tymoshenko as someone perhaps not that he can trust, but with whom he can deal.
On 11 August 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
posted a videoblog on the Kremlin.ru website, and the official Kremlin LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, in which he attacked Viktor Yushchenko, for what Medvedev claims is the Ukrainian President's responsibility in the souring of Russia–Ukraine relations and "the anti-Russian position of the current Ukrainian authorities". As a result of this alleged anti-Russian sentiment, Medvedev announced that he would not appoint a new Russian ambassador to Ukraine until such time as there was an improvement in the relationship. In response to this letter by his Russian counterpart Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
wrote a letter back in which noted he could not agree that the Ukrainian-Russian relations had run into problems and wondered why the Russian President completely rules out the Russian responsibility thereupon. Analysts said Medvedev's message was timed to influence the campaign for the Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
. The U.S. Department of State (in response to the videoblog) said it was "not sure that these comments are necessarily" and also stated "Ukraine has a right to make its own choices, and we feel that it has a right to join NATO if it chooses" (the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has supported Ukraine’s bid to join NATO despite Russia’s objections since the Ukrainian governments proposal to join the NATO Membership Action Plan in January 2008).
On October 7, 2009 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented that the Russian Government wants to see economy prevail in Russian-Ukrainian relations and that relations between the two countries would improve if the two countries would set up joint ventures, especially in small
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
and medium-sized businesses. At the same meeting in Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
Lavrov stated that the Russian Government will not response to a Ukrainian proposal to organize a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, but that "Contacts between the two countries' foreign ministries are being maintained permanently."
On December 2, 2009 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov agreed on gradually abandoning the compilation of lists of individuals banned from entering their countries.
Viktor Yanukovych Presidency
On April 22, 2010 Presidents Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
and Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
signed an agreement concerning renting of the Russian Naval Forces
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
base in Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
in the next 25 years for the natural gas discounts in deliveries which accounted for $100 per each 1,000 cubic meters.
On May 17, 2010, the President of Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
arrived to Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
on the two day visit. During the visit Medvedev hoped to sign cooperation agreements in inter-regional and international problems, according to RIA Novosti. That also was mentioned on the official inquiry at the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
by the First Deputy prime-minister Andriy Kliuyev. According to some news agencies the main purpose of the visit was to solve the disagreements in the Russian-Ukrainian energy relations after Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
agreed on the partial merger of Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
and Naftogaz.
Apart from the merger of the state gas companies there are also talks of the merger of the nuclear energy sector as well.
Both Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
(April 2010) and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
(June 2010) have stated they noticed a big improvement in relations since Viktor Yanukovych Presidency.
Popular opinion
Generally in opinion polls Russians say they have a more negative attitude towards Ukraine than vice versa.Polls in Russia have shown that after top Russia’s officials made radical statements or took drastic actions against Ukraine the attitude of those polled towards Ukraine worsened (every time). The issues that have "hurt" Russians’ view of Ukraine are:
- Possible Ukrainian NATO-membership
- Ukrainian attempts to have the HolodomorHolodomorThe Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...
recognized as genocide against the Ukrainian nation - Attempts to honor the Ukrainian Insurgent Army
According to experts the Russian Government likes to cultivate the image "Ukraine is an enemy" to cover up its own internal mistakes. Analysts like Philip P. Pan (writing for the Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
) have argued that Russian media portray the Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine is often associated with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. However it should be considered that Ukraine is a country under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government...
as anti-Russian.
| Opinion | | October 2008 | |April 2009 | |June 2009 | | September 2009 | | November 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 38% | 41% | 34% | 46% | 46% | |
| Negative | 53% | 49% | 56% | 44% | 44% |
Note: 80% had a “good or very good” attitude towards Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
during 2009.
| Opinion | | October 2008 | |June 2009 | | September 2009 | | November 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 88% | 91% | 93% | 96% |
| Negative | 9% | - | - |
Parallel polls released on November 5, 2009 showed that about 67% of Ukrainians think the relationship should be a friendship between “two independent states”, while 55% of those polled in Russia share that concept.
Polls in Russia in the 1990s showed that an majority of Russians could not accept the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
and the independence of Ukraine. According to a 2006 poll by VCIOM
VCIOM
All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion, VTsIOM, [established in 1987; till 1992 – All-Union Center for the Study of Public Opinion] is the oldest polling institution in the post-Soviet space and is one of the leading sociological and market research companies in Russia.-General...
66% of all Russians regretted the collapse of the Soviet Union. 50% of respondents in Ukraine in a similar poll held in February 2005 stated they regret the disintegration of the Soviet Union. In 2005 (71%) and 2007 (48%) polls Russians expressed a wish to unify with Ukraine; although a unification solely with Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
was more popular.
Late 20th century there were still members of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n political elite that claimed that Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
is a Russian dialect and that Ukraine (and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) should become part of the Russian Federation. In a June 2010 interview Mikhail Zurabov
Mikhail Zurabov
Mikhail Yuryevich Zurabov is the current ambassador of Russia to Ukraine and Russia's former Minister of Health and Social Development . He held the post of Minister of Health and Social Development from 9 March 2004 to 24 September 2007...
, then Russian ambassador to Ukraine, stated "Russians and Ukrainians are a single nation with some nuances and peculiarities". A late 2011 poll by Levada Center
Levada Center
Levada Center is a Russian independent, non-governmental polling and sociological research organisation. It is named after its founder, the first Russian professor of sociology Yuri Levada . Levada Center traces back its history to 1987 when VCIOM was founded, originally headed by Academician...
showed 53% of polled Russians preferred friendship with an independent Ukraine and 33% did prefer Ukraine to be under Russia's economic and political control (15% was undecided).
Although a large majority of Ukrainians voted for independence in December 1991
Ukrainian independence referendum, 1991
A referendum on the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine took place in Ukraine on December 1, 1991. The only question of the referendum was: "Do you support the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" – with the text of the Declaration as a preamble to the question...
the following years the Russian press
Media of Russia
Media of Russia is diverse, with a wide range of broadcast and print outlets are available to the consumer. In total, there are 93,000 media outlets in Russia, including 27,000 newspapers and magazines and 330 television channels. Television is the most popular source of information. There are...
portrayed the independence Ukraine as the work of "nationalists
Ukrainian nationalism
Ukrainian nationalism refers to the Ukrainian version of nationalism.Although the current Ukrainian state emerged fairly recently, some historians, such as Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, Orest Subtelny and Paul Magosci have cited the medieval state of Kievan Rus' as an early precedents of specifically...
" who “twisted” the "correct" instincts of the masses according to a 1996 study. The study argues that as a result of this the presumption in the Russian popular opinion became that the Ukrainian political elite
Politics of Ukraine
Politics of Ukraine take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the parliament...
is the only thing standing in between the "heartfelt wish of the Ukrainians" to reunite with Russia.
Ukrainian history is not threaded as a separate subject on leading Russian University's but rather incorporated in the history of Russia
History of Russia
The history of Russia begins with that of the Eastern Slavs and the Finno-Ugric peoples. The state of Garðaríki , which was centered in Novgorod and included the entire areas inhabited by Ilmen Slavs, Veps and Votes, was established by the Varangian chieftain Rurik in 862...
.
External links
- The complexity of Russian-Ukrainian energy relations, Opinion by Agata Loskot-Strachota, February 2009, European Union Institute for Security StudiesEuropean Union Institute for Security StudiesThe European Union Institute for Security Studies is a Paris-based EU agency of the Common Foreign and Security Policy . Its goals are to find a common security culture for the EU, to help develop and project the CFSP, and to enrich Europe’s strategic debate.The EUISS is an autonomous agency with...