Russia Ukraine Crisis Explained

The territory that made up the modern country of Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire with a notable southwestern region administered by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the border between them dating to the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

The Ukrainian War of Independence of 1917 to 1921 produced the Free Territory of Ukraine, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (in 1919 merged from the Ukrainian People's Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic) which was quickly subsumed in the Soviet Union.

The Russo-Ukrainian War is an ongoing war between Russia (together with pro-Russian separatist forces) and Ukraine. It began in February 2014 following the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, and initially focused on the status of Crimea and parts of the Donbas, internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.

Present Ukraine, home to about 43,448,784 people covers area of more than six hundred thousand square kilometers (603,550 sq. km.), and a GDP of more than $155.6 billion dollars, per capita income more than 3,700 dollars. Considered as the "breadbasket of Europe," Ukraine produces wheat, barley, corn and rye that much of Europe relies on.

Today Ukraine is divided between East and West in more ways than one. The west sees itself as more european, the east is closer to Russia be it in terms of geography or sentiment.

For many, Russia claiming Ukraine on the basis of colonial history is wrong, it will be like Britain claiming India or South Africa, or Spain claim the Philippines.) (Past Imperialism cannot justify present-day Expansionism-The World has moved on).

Russia-Ukraine crisis that has ravaged the world in the past five weeks creating financial crisis across the world is a devastating one..