The Russia-Ukraine conflict did not begin in 2022; its roots trace back to 2014, following the Euromaidan protests in Kyiv. After pro-European protests led to the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych, Russia responded by annexing Crimea in March 2014—a move widely condemned by the international community.
Simultaneously, Russian-backed separatist movements erupted in Eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (collectively known as the Donbas region). These groups declared self-proclaimed republics, igniting a bloody and protracted conflict with Ukrainian forces. Despite multiple attempts at diplomacy—most notably the Minsk I (2014) and Minsk II (2015) agreements—the ceasefires failed to hold.
Throughout this period, over 13,000 people were killed, and millions were displaced. The war settled into a frozen conflict, but tensions persisted. In the shadows, Russia continued to provide weapons, intelligence, and military personnel to support separatists, while Ukraine pursued closer ties with the West, including NATO and the EU.
The conflict remained a simmering geopolitical flashpoint, eventually boiling over in late 2021 when Russia began massing troops along Ukraine’s borders.
