When we talk about Russians vs. Ukrainians, let’s remember that a very long time ago Ukraine’s capital Kyiv (Kiev) was actually the birthplace of the whole nation that today is called “Russians”.
Kyiv is a much older city than Moscow or St. Petersburg.
To understand the opposition of Russians and Ukrainians in our time, we need to consider modern politics.
It will also help to gain some insight into differences between Russian and Ukrainian women.
Ukrainians vs. Russians
The roots of both nations come to the same people that populated the area around today’s Kyiv over a thousand years ago.
The state formed by this nation was called Rus. The people of Rus moved around and spread to the East, where they established new towns, including Moscow.
Typically of medieval Europe, the state was divided into many principalities, each under the ruling of a local prince. Wars with nearby countries resulted in some principalities falling under the ruling of Lithuania, which also took over the territory of modern Poland. These were the western areas of Rus.
The eastern principalities managed to withstand against Lithuania, but later were taken over by Mongolian Khans, which ruled Rus for nearly 500 years.
This is how it happened that for centuries the people of the former Rus got divided into two nations: One under the influence of European countries, and the other one under the influence of an Asian country.
The roots of differences between Russians and Ukrainians, including variations in the languages, come from these times in history.
Is Ukrainian language different to Russian?
Yes, today these are two distinctly different languages.
- Russians can understand Ukrainian mova to a certain extent (but cannot speak it).
- Most Ukrainians understand Russian, and many can speak it, because during the Soviet times it was the official language in all the republics of the USSR.
The word “Ukraine” means “territory on the edge”. The name was assigned officially to these territories only in 1917, following the first Revolution in St. Petersburg, which was the capital of the Russian Empire at the time. The territories that were named Ukraine were part of the Empire since 17th century, when Ukrainian leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky asked neighbourly troops for protection to move away from the Lithuanian state.
It is in June 1917 that Ukrainian People’s Republic has been officially recognized as an independent country for the first time in history.
The word “Ukraine” means “territory on the edge”. The name was assigned officially to these territories only in 1917.
Political fallout
The main dividing point between Russia and Ukraine is the year 2014. This is the year when Russia took over Crimea, which was officially a Ukrainian territory.
Crimea used to be a Russian territory until 1954, when the Soviet government moved it under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Socialist Republic. It made sense at the time, since Crimea borders Ukraine by land. The same decree moved some of Ukrainian territories under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federative Republic, so the territorial alignments weren’t totally one-sided; both republics lost some areas and gained others.
Both Russia and Ukraine were among initiators of the breakdown of the Soviet Union, signing a treaty in Belarus to dissolve the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics in December 1991.
But after gaining independence in 1991 Ukraine decided to distance itself from the former inseparable ally and made plans to join the European Union, under the guide of a pro-western party that gained power in the country.
The Ukrainian leaders started talking about joining NATO, and this is what infuriated the Russian government. Ukraine’s having a NATO base in Crimea wasn’t something they could envision with a smile on their faces.
After picking the pieces following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia established a regime where swaps of power never occurred. In 2000 the first president of the country Boris Yeltsin introduced his successor Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, who de facto never left the helm since.
Russia hosted an Olympics in Sochi, near Ukrainian border with Crimea, in February 2014. Large amount of Russian troops was consolidated near Sochi for the event, as it was explained, to ensure security.
Once the Olympics were finished, the troops en large moved to Crimea, where in a swiftly organized referendum the citizens voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia.
In 2014 Russia took over Crimea, which was officially a Ukrainian territory since 1954.
“To whom Crimea belongs?”
This question is central to the political dispute between the two former inseparable allies.
- Ukraine considers Crimea its territory that is temporarily occupied by Russia.
- Russia considers Crimea its historical territory, which rightfully and legitimately joined its Motherland on decision of its residents, and obviously a territory of Russia.
In Ukraine, there is a pro-Russian minority that would like to restore friendly relations with its northern neighbour and doesn’t mind the takeover of Crimea. The majority of Ukrainian citizens, however, are strongly opposing the loss of Crimea.
Two regions of Ukraine bordering Russia, Luhansk and Donetsk, also installed self-governing bodies wanting an autonomy from Ukraine. There is still an ongoing armed conflict in these regions, which constantly receive support from Russia. Russia insists that the support is purely humanitarian, so that people who live there don’t suffer. Ukraine points out that there are Russian troops. Russia denies that there are any of its troops in Ukrainian regions.
Europe and the USA posed economic sanctions on Russia because of its takeover of Crimea. Russia responded with its own economic sanctions, banning some imports from the European Union.
In 2020, Ukrainians elected a new president, who confirmed the course to join the European Union by 2027. Obviously, this isn’t something that Russia would like to see happening. It’s likely Russia’s guerrilla tactics to regain the influence in Ukraine will continue, including attempts to influence elections, as seems to be typical of the current Russian administration.
In short, this is the current situation in the conflict of Russians vs. Ukrainians.
Read also:
- Bloomberg: Russia lost 10% of its economy after the takeover of Crimea
- Is Ukraine safer than countries of the European Union?
- Victims of Perestroika: 1 in 2 Russians thinks fondly about the times of the USSR
- Happiest countries in the world revealed
I have been to ukraine on vacation twice in 2019, ond once this past January. And talking to several ukranians from Zaporizhzhya, and Dnipro they despise the Russians, and they swear Russia invaded or stole the land. Its not my side of the story. its the Ukranians that i have spoken too. I never initiate politics in conversation, but the conflict does raise its ugly head in conversation with my friends, and Ukranian girlfriend.