Crimea and the Donbas (2014)
The annexation of Crimea, the Donbas war, and the Minsk agreements that failed to hold.
Euromaidan and the Seizure of Crimea
In late 2013, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych rejected an EU Association Agreement under Russian pressure, triggering mass protests in Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). After months of escalating violence — culminating in sniper fire that killed over 100 protesters in February 2014 — Yanukovych fled to Russia.
Russia's narrative: The Euromaidan was a Western-backed coup that overthrew a legitimate government, threatening Russian-speaking populations. Ukraine's narrative: It was a popular revolution against a corrupt, authoritarian president who had ordered lethal force against civilians.
Within days of Yanukovych's departure, unmarked Russian soldiers — the 'little green men' — appeared in Crimea. A hastily organized referendum on March 16, 2014, reported 97% in favor of joining Russia, though it was held under military occupation without international observers, with no option to maintain the status quo. Russia formally annexed Crimea on March 18. The UN General Assembly voted 100 to 11 (with 58 abstentions) that the referendum was invalid.