Every day, “20 Minutes” provides live updates on the latest news of the war in Ukraine through our live articles. The war was declared with the invasion of the country by Russia on the night of February 23-24, 2022 on the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the bombing of several cities including Kiev.
The origin of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia
Former Soviet republic, Ukraine gained its independence in 1991. The country, which is not a member of the European Union and represents the 2nd largest country in Europe in terms of its area, is constantly torn between Eastern and Western influences. In 2014, the Ukrainian revolution (known as the Euromaidan revolution) led to the removal of the pro-Russian government leader Viktor Yanukovych. Shortly after, the Russian Federation annexed Crimea and attached it to Russia. In the same year, an armed conflict erupted in the Donbass region, where pro-Russian separatists declared independence from Ukraine and attachment to Russia. The Minsk Protocol, signed on September 5, 2014 by Ukraine, Russia, and the separatists, has not succeeded in achieving a lasting resolution to the crisis and the conflict has been ongoing for several years in the region.
