The conflict between Russia and Ukraine from a historical perspective

Keys to understand this ancient conflict

Leopoldo Ágreda LoveraFollow

May 23, 202210 min de lectura

Russian military actions on Ukrainian soil have filled the mass media with the latest news about the operations of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which keep world peace in check.

However, this conflict, which apparently began in 2014, is older, due to the tensions between the Ukrainian territory and its Russian neighbors since the 18th century, and most of the 20th century.

Why has the conflict between Russia and Ukraine occurred?

There are various historical reasons for the conflict, but there are also pragmatic reasons, why this country has been fought over by various armies in the past.

Ukraine is one of the leaders in the export of minerals, such as uranium, iron, coal, nickel, copper, among other important resources.

In addition to this, it is one of the main producers of corn in the world, and during the Soviet era, Ukraine was the breadbasket of the Soviet Union, supplying cereals to a good part of the inhabitants of the union.

Although it is true that many analysts dismiss the importance of natural and food resources, focusing the causes on other points, no less important, it is necessary to understand this aspect of Ukraine, to understand its importance in the past and present.

Keys to understand the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Early Ukrainian civilizations

Kievan Rus is considered by Russians and Ukrainians as the genesis of their civilization.

This Kievan Rus was a federation of Slavic tribes, which dominated the territory from the 9th to the 13th centuries, when the Tatar raids began.

In this common beginning, the similarities, historical, cultural, and ethnic approaches that unite the two countries are based.

Ukraine is the country where the ancient Cossacks settled, a warrior people who fought victoriously against the great powers of the world.

The Cossacks were prominent during the Tatar incursions into Europe, preventing these Eastern European and Mongol tribes from entering their territory; approximately in the thirteenth century of our era.

By the 16th century, the Zaporozhian Cossacks had created a military political entity, which in 1648 took up arms against the Polish domination, creating its own political entity called the Cossack Hetmanate.

However, the Cossack Hetmanate had enemies on different fronts, the Crimean Tatars, along with Poles and Muscovites (now Russians); who wanted to break the Cossacks and take their territory.

The Cossacks would not enjoy eternal permanence in their Hetmanate, by 1764 the Russians took control of the territory, sharing the current Ukraine, between Poland (to the west) and Russia (to the east).

Russian intervention in Ukraine during the 20th century

Ukraine's first independence

When President Putin points out that Ukraine and Russia have close ties, he is not wrong at all; however, these ties created by the proximity of the territory, were also developed by the Russian penetration in Ukraine, from the period of the tsars.

Despite this Russian penetration, the Ukrainians maintained a sense of national identity, which led them to proclaim their independence from Russia in 1917, with the creation of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

For its part, the area occupied by the Poles and Austrians would obtain independence in 1918, beginning the Ukrainian war of independence; where again, the territory would be divided between Poles and Russians after losing the war.

All these elements were creating the consciousness of a different nationality, of a society and culture subjugated by other powers, and an arduous desire for freedom, which was never extinguished.

Ukraine and the Soviet Union

After the Bolshevik regime took control of Moscow in 1918, an intense Russian cultural conquest took place on Ukrainian soil, which did not diminish its nationalist sense and cultural identity.

This cultural hegemony on the part of Russia, was accompanied by the exploitation of its natural resources, together with an important industrial development, being the 1930s, the period in which this industrial development is most notable, although it would bring painful consequences.

Soviet industrialization in Ukraine and the Holodomor

The arrival of Iosif Stalin to the Moscow Kremlin meant a period of industrialization for Ukraine, but it would be very hard on a social level, with great difficulties for agriculture, and a famine that is still remembered on Ukrainian soil.

The industrialization of Ukraine would notably help the technological power of the Soviet Union, thanks to the great resources and the Ukrainian workforce.

For its part, Ukrainian agriculture was subjected to a “collectivization” regime, where the peasants did not own the land, but were under “popular domain”, being controlled by members of the Bolshevik communist party.

This collectivization of the land would bring about one of the most relevant humanitarian disasters of the 20th century: the Ukrainian famine or the Holodomor, which occurred between the years of 1932 and 1933, in which nearly 4 million people would lose their lives due to the Russian policies.

In order for the peasants to access their portion of cereals and crops, they had to deliver a minimum amount of food to the authorities, which was generally difficult to obtain; causing the death of millions of people.

The memory of this period, of the famine and the millions of deaths, continues to be present in the memory of Ukrainians, commemorating this historical moment today.

Ukrainian movements for independence in World War II

Just like at the beginning of the First World War, where Russian politics was in danger from internal and then external problems; Ukraine would see in this new situation an opportunity to fight for its independence, creating different groups and military movements.

Groups such as the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which carried out special operations, such as the assassination of one of those responsible for the Holodomor, among other actions; they were a sign of Ukrainian interest in becoming independent.

In the midst of the world war with the German occupation, and the annexation of the Ukrainian territory to Russia completely, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army would act as the Cossacks did in the past, resisting against the Germans and against the Russians, on different battle fronts.

At the end of the war, a large part of the young population and thousands of other people were taken to the Soviet Gulags in Siberia, this blow being another living memory of the Ukrainians in their memory.

Khrushchev gives Crimea to Ukraine in 1954

Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, however, Nikita Khrushchev as the highest Soviet leader, would deliver the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954, this delivery being one of the keys to understanding the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Independence of Ukraine, new stage of relations with Russia

early years

Ukraine would finally obtain its long-awaited independence on August 24, 1991.

The Ukrainian Parliament approved the independence declaration, holding the first presidential elections, which would result in Leonid Kravchuk, who served as the president of the parliament, as the winner.

When the Soviet Union came to an end, the loss of the Crimean peninsula (with abundant energy resources and a major geopolitical hotspot) was deeply mourned.

This lament was not only because of its strategic importance, but because this part of Ukraine is very close to Russian culture, sharing many elements in common.

In 1997, when Russia was still a fallen giant, the agreement called "Treaty of Friendship" was signed, where both countries recognized their borders, however, the Treaty of Friendship came to an end in 2014, when the Ukrainian government was changed..

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the 21st century

During the last years of the first decade of the 21st century, with the rise of the US military, facing the attacks of September 11, 2001; Different military alliances were created between various countries of the world.

During this period, Russia was growing economically, militarily, and politically.

A show of muscle was between 2006 and 2009, when the first diplomatic confrontation between Ukraine and Russia took place, motivated by the prices of Russian gas, causing the scarcity of this important resource, in several European countries.

The current reasons for the conflict

Fall of the Yanukovych government in 2014

At this point we can understand that the tensions between the two countries have a long history, however, the conflict has more visible and current reasons, which stand out, like the tip of an iceberg in the ocean.

The political situation in Ukraine was quite tense, when in 2013, the Ukrainian president Yanukovych gave up signing the agreement with the European Union, thanks to the pressure he received from Moscow.

These actions of the then president were rejected by Ukrainian society, which saw Yanukovych as an executor of Putin's policy in their territory, rising up in the main cities against the government, causing the president to leave.

Annexation of Crimea to Russia and pro-Russian Donbas movements, 2014-2015

While in kyiv the population was fighting against the government, forcing the departure of President Yanukovych, and creating a new government that was not favorable to Russia's policy; in the Crimea region a referendum was held, where this territory was annexed to Russia.

For their part , in the Donbas region, the pro-Russian movements manage to declare the people's republics of Donesk and Lugansk, which have been recognized again in the last days of conflict.

In 2015, the Minsk Treaties were signed, where both parties agreed to end the war, but a calm full of tension would continue, which would end up exploding in the present year 2022, with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which could lead to a new war. world.

Putin's denunciations of NATO's military advances

These complaints are another key to understanding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

For most of the 2010s, Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced the advance of NATO military forces, close to his territory, considering that these advances, military exercises, etc., are a danger to Russia's security.

In Vladimir Putin's speech on February 21, 2022, he pointed out that the countries that were part of the Soviet Union had the right to leave this political unit without conditions; this being a terrible political error that endangers Russia.

This error consists in the fact that, being independent nations and republics, they can (and should) have relations with the countries and organizations they wish, or those that are more in tune with their interests, without foreign interference.

For Putin, Ukraine's rapprochement with the European Union, the United States and NATO is seen as a threat to Russian territory ; using this pretext (among others), to carry out the invasion of Ukrainian territory.

These have been some historical keys to understand the old conflict, between Russia and Ukraine; which could bring several consequences worldwide, in the military, political, economic and social fields.