Russia and Ukraine are not the same countries. They used to be both part of the USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics, from 1922 to 1991.

Russia and Ukraine aren’t the same country, they are neighbours

Just like the USA and Canada aren’t the same country, Russia and Ukraine are neighbours.

However, unlike the USA and Canada, Russia is much larger than Ukraine. In fact, Russia is the largest country on Earth, covering 1/8 of the Earth’s surface.

Although Ukraine isn’t a small country either (it’s larger than Germany, France, or Italy). In fact, Ukraine is the largest country which territory lies entirely within Europe.

Russia has a larger territory that lies within Europe, but it’s intercontinental: It lies both in Europe and Asia. The largest part of Russia lies in Asia.

Ukraine lies at the south-west border of Russia.

The two countries have an ongoing dispute of the area of Crimean peninsula, which used to belong to Russia, then was given to Ukraine after WWII by one of leaders of the USSR, and then forcefully taken back by Russia in 2014 after a staged referendum, arranged within 2 weeks with the support of some uniformed armed people without identification, which resolved that people of Crimea wish to live in Russia.

Ukraine never accepted the results of this voting, announcing Crimea a temporarily occupied territory. Russia states it always was a Russian land and its people had spoken.

Until 2014 relationships between the two countries were friendly, but since the takeover of Crimea by Russia it’s a state of a guerrilla war, according to Ukraine, or diplomatic conflict, as Russia wants to portray it.

All in all, not distinguishing Ukraine and Russia as separate countries may get you in some hot waters. Better make sure you know where is which.

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