Relations Between Russia and Ukraine After the Annexation of Crimea in 2014

Russia and Ukraine have a common historical and cultural affinity that started with the Kyiv Kinesis, they are considered as two different states today. Although Russia sees Ukraine as its little brother and an extension of its natural borders, this has not been the case for Ukraine. Ukraine, which was a part of the USSR until 1991, emerged as an independent state after the dissolution of the USSR. Relations with Russia, the EU, and NATO have been the most important in Ukrainian foreign policy. After independence, Ukraine in its foreign policy sometimes preferred getting closer to Russia and sometimes favored policies in the Western direction. Thus, an ebb and flow and unstable foreign policy continued in Ukraine. Western involvement in Ukraine, which was believed to have started with the Orange Revolution in 2004, manifested itself with the EuroMaidan events in 2014. The democratic developments in Ukraine and the inclination and acceleration of its integration with the West were perceived as a threat by Russia. Russia responded to all these Western-backed events with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and later by inflicting civil conflicts in Donetsk and Luhansk. After the Crimea Invasion, there was a lot of tension in the relations between the two states. On February 24, 2022, when Russia started a systematic invasion against Ukraine, the relations between the two states were further severed. This study consists of three parts, firstly, the relations between Russia and Ukraine are examined in a historical exploration, mainly starting with Crimea. Then, the relations between Russia and Ukraine were evaluated from the post-Soviet period until the Crimean Annexation. Finally, the relations between the two states after the Crimean Annexation are discussed. In addition, it has been tried to prove the hypothesis that the struggles between Russia and Ukraine are not limited only between these two states but tend to turn into a proxy war between Russia and the authoritarian regimes it represents, and the West, including the USA.