Ukraine, located in the east of Europe, borders Russia to the east, the Black Sea to the south, Belarus to the north, and Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the west.
First, geographical location
Ukraine is geographically important as the geopolitical intersection between the European Union and the CIS, especially with Russia, and can serve as a natural barrier between Russia and the European countries.
At the same time, Ukraine, as the world's third largest grain exporter, has the reputation of "The Granary of Europe". Not only that, but Ukraine was also one of the members of the Soviet Union and had an industrial system similar to That of Russia.
Map of Ukraine
Second, historical reasons
Ukraine and Russia can be said to have the same roots.
Around the 10th century, East Slavic tribes united in the region of present-day Ukraine to form the Ancient Rus' tribes. In 862, East Slavs established the first Rus' kingdom, the Rurik dynasty, in Novgorod, and later occupied Kiev, establishing Kievan Rus'.
In the 1620s, the Great Yuan marched west, reducing the Principality of Vladimir-Suzdali to a vassal state of the Golden Horde, and then the Yuan advanced westward, capturing Kiev in 1240.
Distribution of Slavs in the 8th-9th centuries
In the 12th and 14th centuries, due to feudal division and Mongol influence, the Ancient Rus' tribe gradually split into three branches: Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians.
In 1654, the Ukrainian Cossack leader Khmelnytsky signed the Treaty of Pereyaslav with the Tsar, inviting Tsarist Russia to rule eastern Ukraine, and since then Eastern Ukraine (on the left bank of the Dnieper River) has been formally merged with the Russian Empire, beginning the history of Ukraine's alliance with Russia.
In the 18th century, Tsarist Russia continued to expand, successively incorporating Ukraine and large areas of the northern shore of the Black Sea into its own territory. By 1795, the rest of Ukraine, with the exception of Galicia (which belonged to Austria from 1772 to 1918), was under the rule of the Russian Empire.
Ukraine during the Tsarist period
At the end of 1917, the October Revolution in Russia broke out, and Soviet power was established in eastern Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was established. During the period of foreign armed intervention from 1918 to 1920, western Ukraine (Eastern Galicia and West Warren) was occupied by Poland.
In 1922, the Soviet Union was formed, and Eastern Ukraine joined the Union, becoming one of the founding members of the Soviet Union. According to the Treaty of Riga signed between Poland and the Soviet Union, Western Ukraine became Polish territory (this scene is actually mentioned in How Steel is Made).
October revolution
In November 1939, World War II broke out, Poland was divided and occupied, and Western Ukraine was merged with the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. On June 22, 1941, the Soviet-German War broke out, and Germany first occupied all of Ukraine. In November 1944, soviet troops returned to Ukraine.
In 1985, Gorbachev came to power, the history of the Soviet Union began to count down, and at the same time, Ukraine began its steps of independence.
The Soviets retake Ukraine
On July 16, 1990, the Supreme Council of The Ukrainian Soviet adopted the Declaration on the Sovereignty of the State of Ukraine. On August 24, 1991, the Ukrainian government issued a declaration of national independence, officially declaring independence from the Soviet Union and changing the name of the country to Ukraine.
On December 8, the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus signed the Belovezh Agreement in Minsk, declaring that the Soviet Union would cease to exist and forming the Commonwealth of Independent States. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine ended its 337-year alliance with Russia and became an independent country, but it also had a close relationship with Russia.
Therefore, Russia and Ukraine are not only brotherly relations in history, but also a security barrier for Russia on the world map today, and the involvement of Western European countries today will naturally make Russia and Ukraine more and more intense.