The Ukraine-Russia timeline: The 1,000-year clash of cultures and power

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9th–13th Centuries: Shared Origins

• 9th century: Viking traders establish Kyivan Rus in present-day Kyiv, laying the foundation for East Slavic civilization.

• 988: Prince Volodymyr the Great adopts Eastern Orthodox Christianity, shaping religious traditions for both Ukraine and Russia.

• 13th century: Mongol invasions destroy Kyivan Rus, scattering regional power.

  
  

14th–17th Centuries: Regional Shifts and Alliances

• 14th century: Poland asserts control over western and northern Ukraine.

• Moscow rises as a new political center.

• 1654: Pereyaslav Agreement is signed by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, aligning Ukraine under Russian protection against Poland.

  
  

18th–19th Centuries: Imperial Domination

• Late 1700s: Imperial Russia absorbs western Ukraine and seizes Crimea.

• Ukraine is referred to as "Little Russia" under czarist rule.

• Cultural Russification policies are aggressively implemented.

  
  

Early 20th Century: Battles for Independence

• 1917: Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, Ukraine declares independence.

• 1918–1921: Ukraine struggles against Poland, Red, and White Russian forces before being absorbed into the Soviet Union.

  
  

Soviet Era: Repression and Resistance

• 1921–1991: Ukraine exists as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

• 1932–1933: Millions die during the Holodomor, Stalin’s man-made famine.

• Ukrainian language, religion, and identity are systematically suppressed.

  
  

1991: The Break for Freedom

• December 1991: More than 92% of Ukrainians vote for independence, including a majority in Crimea.

• Ukraine becomes a fully sovereign state following the collapse of the USSR.

  
  

1990s–2010s: Independence Under Pressure

• 1994: The Budapest Memorandum sees Russia pledge to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

• 2010: Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian politician, is elected president.

• 2013: Ukraine’s pivot toward Europe stalls as Yanukovych withdraws from an EU association agreement, sparking Maidan protests.

  
  

2014: Crimea Annexed and Conflict Ignites

• February 2014: Yanukovych flees Ukraine amid mass protests and state violence.

• March 2014: Russia annexes Crimea.

• April 2014: Pro-Russian forces, armed and unmarked, begin destabilizing eastern Ukraine.

  
  

2022–Present: Full-Scale War

• February 2022: Russia begins a full invasion of Ukraine.

• November 2023: Putin claims Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus form a "triune people" (Council on Foreign Relations).

• Ukrainian resistance strengthens, deepening its national identity and European alignment.