| THE CRISIS |

Before and After: Kiev's Independence Square after Civilian Protests
Image source: Feel Desain Online Magazine

Once a nation showing promising signs of economic growth and globalization, Ukraine has disintegrated into violence, becoming a country torn by civil war and mired by corruption. It all began in 2014 when Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a treaty with the European Union, disappointing millions of Ukrainians and sparking protests within the capital, Kiev. Such protests quickly escalated into violent clashes, prompting Yanukovych to flee the country and pro-Western politicians to establish a provisional government (Bell).

Bombed airport building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk
Image source: International Business Times

In March of 2014, Russia, refusing to recognize the new provisional government, invaded the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine, seizing key administration buildings.  Despite fierce Western backlash, Russian President Vladimir Putin proceeded to annex the peninsula.  Hungry for more territorial gains and overwhelmed by the support of eastern Ukrainians, the president then launched an invasion of eastern Ukraine in April of 2014, deploying thousands of Russian forces and arming Ukrainian rebels with heavy weaponry and artillery.  Violence quickly followed in eastern Ukraine as deadly clashes erupted across the region (Judah).

Ukrainian war refugee hostel in Donetsk
Image source: Bloomberg Business

Today, the crisis lives on as pro-Russian rebels continue to strike residential areas and fire at Ukrainian troops in an effort to absorb eastern Ukraine into the Russian Federation.  Causality and displacement numbers have reached staggering heights; “more than 1.2 million people have been internally displaced” as a result of the military operations in eastern Ukraine, “in which more than 6,200 people have died since April 2014” (Luhn).  Ukraine remains tightly locked in conflict with pro-Russian rebels, and only time will tell when the bloody skirmishes will end and Europe can at last sigh a breath of relief. 

References:

Bell, Matthew. "Where Did the Downfall of Ukraine's President Victor Yanukovych Begin?" PRI. Public Radio International, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 6 May 2015.

Judah, Tim. "The Disappearing Country." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 13 Apr. 2014. Web. 06 May 2015.

Luhn, Alec. "Upswing in Fighting in Ukraine Sends Civilians Fleeing and Puts Truce in Doubt." The Guardian. Gaurdian News and Media Limited, 3 May 2015. Web. 6 May 2015.