Loading ...Key Events Leading to the War:
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2014 – Maidan Uprising & Crimea
- Ukraine’s pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted after mass protests (Euromaidan).
- Russia responded by annexing Crimea and supporting separatist movements in Donetsk and Luhansk (Donbas region).
- Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists began in Eastern Ukraine, lasting for years.
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2014-2022 – Ongoing Conflict
- Ukraine fought separatists in Donbas, but it never invaded Russian territory.
- Various ceasefires were attempted but regularly broken.
- The U.S. and NATO provided increasing support to Ukraine, which Russia saw as a threat.
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2021-2022 – Russia’s Justifications for War
- Russia claimed Ukraine was attacking civilians in Donbas (though Ukraine denied this).
- Russia opposed Ukraine’s growing ties with NATO and the West.
- Russia recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics.
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February 24, 2022 – Russia Invades
- Russia launched a full-scale invasion, calling it a “special military operation.”
- Ukraine defended itself, with Western countries providing military aid.
Who Started the War?
- If you view the war as beginning in 2022, Russia launched the invasion.
- If you go back to 2014, Ukraine fought separatists in its own territory, but Russia was heavily involved in supporting them.
- Russia argues that NATO and Ukraine provoked the war, while Ukraine and the West say Russia invaded unprovoked.
The war is part of a much larger geopolitical struggle between Russia and the West. The truth depends on how far back you want to look and whose perspective you consider.