How history has shaped the relations between Russia and Ukraine: From past to present

The world has been quite busy with latest political events that have been occurring in various areas. Russia-Ukraine is one of them and plausibly, the hottest topic currently. It all started with Russia's amassing troops near Ukrainian border and started military operations straight away. While most states condemned Russia on account of violence against Ukraine, some argued Russia was right. Still, this conflict was not directly related to dissension between these states, thus, other actors played a critical role before and after the war. This paper examines the whole process from historical perspective to highlight the major reasons why their relations deteriorated. While integrating evidence from politicians' reviews, consecutive actions by these states and organizations involved in, the quantitative study reveals that the relations were historically positive, especially during the USSR period. It argues that expansion policy of NATO was the root of the Russian- Ukrainian War, as annexation of Crimea was also linked with this policy, besides changing political stance of Ukraine played a crucial role in this issue. The findings manifest how demands and attitudes are likely to change in the course of history, since yesterday's friends could turn into today's enemies.