Conflict Over Territory: Russia and Ukraine

History of Ukraine:

• Ukraine is a former soviet state that was under the communist rule of the USSR
• After the USSR collapsed in 1991, many Eastern European countries wanted independence
• Ukraine has since requested to become a member of NATO and the EU

Russian Response to Ukranian Requests:

• In 2014 Russia took control of the Crimea, annexing it from Ukraine after claiming that it should be owned by the Russian state.
• Some also believe that Russia took the Crimea because it offers the only non-frozen port on the Russian coastline which would allow it to trade or launch military vessels year-round.
• These actions were met with…