ukraine. second largest country in europe west – close ties with european neighbors ...
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Ukraine
Ukraine
Second largest country in Europe
West – close ties with European neighbors Nationalistic sentiment
Minority are Russian, or speak Russian as first language Especially in industrialized east
Crimea Was part of Russia until 1954
Russian Black Sea fleet located there
Crimean Tatars
Stalin accused them of collaborating with the Nazis
A Turkic ethnic group
Deported to central Asia in 1944
Many have returned
1923-1933
Stalin enforced agricultural collectivization Aimed to wipe out capitalism
Part of the New Economic policy
Famine and death to millions Devastating purge
Raised grain quota, not enough food to feed peasants
WWII
Many welcomed the Germans as liberators from Soviet rule Many fought hoping Hitler would grant them an independent state
Nazis used Ukrainians for slave labor 2.5 million fought for the red army
5.3 million died during the war
2.25 million Jews were killed
After the war, Stalin deported tens of thousands to Siberian prison camps and executed thousands more
Chernobyl
1986
Result of a flawed reactor design
Steam and fire explosion released 5% of radioactive reactor core
2 people died at the scene, 28 in the next few weeks
Large proportion of childhood thyroid cancer
Independence
August 24, 1991 90% voted to declare independence from the Soviet Union
Rapid economic decline and inflation
Leonid Kuchma Steady economic recovery but criticized for too much Russian
interest
2004 Attempt to rig election led to “Orange Revolution”
Orange revolution
Mass protests for rigged election
European Union mediation and re-run of the election
Prime minister Viktor Yushchenko (2005-2010) Some democratic reforms
Divided public slowed nation and EU membership
Re-oriented foreign trade policy toward Russia
Clamped down on media freedom and had opponents jailed
Economy
Trade with EU exceeds that with Russia
Russia largest trading partner Depends on Russia for gas
supply
2006 and 2009, Russia cut gas supplies and forced Ukraine to pay more
Depends on steel exports
Economy
2008 crisis Loan by the international monetary fund for $16.5bn
2010, further loan of $15bn frozen
Government failed to implement financial reforms
Recent moved to an EU agreement and EU membership fueled tensions with Russia
Viktor Yanukovych
2010 election
Canceled a trade deal with the European union
Driven out of office by pro-western demonstrators in November 2013 Deaths of 88 protestors by snipers in a
48 hour period led to his downfall
Fled to Russia in February
New elections to be held in Kiev
Articles
Read the two article about the Crisis in Ukraine and the referendum
Do you think the west should impose sanctions?
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