Although Ukraine was briefly independent at the end of World War I and was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, those were the only gaps in the roughly 350 years of control from Moscow. The disintegration of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, and the emergence of Ukraine as an independent state, drastically changed the political complexion of Eastern Europe. For several years after 1991, the relationship between Ukraine and Russia was uneasy and at times acrimonious. By the end of the 1990s, however, the tensions and quarrels that once divided the two countries had largely subsided. Indeed, some observers have even begun to speculate that Ukraine will eventually emulate Belarus in seeking a tight political and military alliance–or even a union–with Russia. The political crisis that began in Ukraine in the fall of 2000 may well accelerate this trend. […]
Memo #:
191
Series:
1
PDF:
PDF URL:
http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/ponars/pm_0191.pdf
