Russian soldiers, with insignias removed from their combat fatigues, seized Crimea. Within days, however, Ukraine found itself at war with Russia. They made clear their desire to get on with domestic reform and set integration with Europe - specifically, signing the association agreement with the European Union - as their top foreign policy priority.

On February 22, the Rada appointed an acting president and acting prime minister. Yanukovych signed the agreement and disappeared, turning up days later in Russia. The latter probably could not have sold the settlement to protestors in the streets, but they had little chance to try. Special police units fired on the crowd on February 19–20, killing some 100 and wounding many more.Įuropean diplomats rushed to the Ukrainian capital and brokered overnight a settlement between Mr. The protests remained largely peaceful until mid-February 2014. Some days saw hundreds of thousands take part in the demonstrations. Yanukovych’s growing authoritarianism as well as his decision not to sign the EU association agreement. Over the ensuing three months, the protests continued and morphed into a broader expression of popular discontent with Mr. Within hours, thousands took to the streets of Kyiv to protest, and the Maidan Revolution (named for the central square in Kyiv) - also called the “Revolution of Dignity” - had begun. On November 21, however, the Ukrainian government announced it would “suspend” preparations to sign the agreement. Ukraine in November 2013 sat primed to sign an association agreement with the European Union, a document to establish a deep and comprehensive free trade arrangement and bring Ukraine closer to Europe.

Unfortunately, the country finds itself entangled in an ongoing low-intensity war with Russia, with uncertain prospects for settlement. Today, Ukraine has made progress toward meeting the aspirations that caused Ukrainians to fill the streets of Kyiv: to become a normal European democracy with a growing economy and reduced corruption.

Ukraine economy 2020