Ever since the initiation of such pro-Russian protests, the Ukrainian government has been at conflict/war against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics both supported militarily by Russia. Russia’s annexation of Crimea ultimately encouraged other Russophone regions in Ukraine to demand independence, namely in Donetsk and Luhansk together referred to as the Donbass. This intensified the already present pro-Western and pro-Russia division in the country and witnessed outside intervention in the form of sanctions by the United States and the EU. Like the 2004 protests, Russia responded again, though this time more intensely by completely annexing the Ukrainian region of Crimea via an unrecognised referendum. During these protests, almost 80 protesters were killed by police and security forces. Mass protests, which later morphed into a revolution, took place against this decision and subsequently resulted in Viktor Yanukovych resigning. In 2014, this escalated when president Viktor Yanukovych declined an agreement that would have effectively brought the country closer to the European Union (EU). For the upcoming years, these events intensified the long-term divide in Ukraine between pro-Russian and pro-Western movements. Shortly after, in 2010, Viktor Yanukovych won a decisive election to become president again. In response, Russia limited gas supplies to Ukraine and, in addition to the global financial crisis, depleted the value of the Ukrainian currency.

Described as the ‘Orange Revolution’, the protests successfully enabled the pro-Western candidate Volodymyr Zelenskyy to gain power. In 2004, mass protests took place in Ukraine to overthrow pro-Russia president Viktor Yanukovych.

Is ukraine at war 2020