The relationship between Ukraine and Russia is relatively tense now, mainly because the current Ukrainian government’s pro-Western policies dissatisfy Russia, and Ukraine wants to join NATO, which further squeezes Russia’s living space, so Ukraine and Relations with Russia are relatively tense in their current form! The Crimean War and the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine occurred last year, but Ukraine has so far shown no intention of withdrawing from the CIS.
The grievances between Russia and Ukraine after the disintegration of the Soviet Union:
(Telling the relationship between the two in historical order)
Three feet of ice, not one day The cold. If you understand the earlier grievances between Russia and Ukraine, the development of the current situation will make sense.
1. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia and Ukraine, the two largest countries in the CIS, fiercely competed for the largest legacy left by the original alliance - the armed forces of the former Soviet Union. This is mainly reflected in the following three aspects: Aspects:
First, there are different opinions on whether to continue to maintain the unified armed forces of the CIS. Russia advocates the establishment of a unified armed force of the CIS that is actually controlled by it, while Ukraine requires the establishment of its own independent army based on the former Soviet troops stationed in its territory. The two sides had many disputes at the CIS summit. In the end, Ukraine ignored Russia's objections and insisted on formally deciding on January 31, 1992 to establish an independent army with a total strength of 420,000 to 450,000 people, realizing its own goal. long-cherished wish. Russia had no choice but to admit this fact, and then promulgated the document on the formation of its own armed forces in May of the same year, putting this disagreement to rest.
The second is the issue of the ownership of the Black Sea Fleet. Russia believes that the Black Sea Fleet is a strategic force and should be under the unified command of the CIS, and states that "this fleet has always belonged to Russia and cannot be ceded to anyone." Ukraine claims that the main base of the Black Sea Fleet is in Ukraine, and Ukraine has no right to the original The total investment in the Soviet Navy was as high as 25%, but the Black Sea Fleet accounted for only 17% of it, so it should belong to Ukraine. The views of both sides are sharply opposed. Although many negotiations were held and some agreements were reached, none were actually implemented, leaving this issue unresolved.
The third issue is about nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Russia proposed to transfer all nuclear weapons to Russia, and Russia would be unilaterally responsible for security guarantees. Under pressure from all parties, Ukraine once agreed to transport nuclear weapons to Russia, but later delayed it for various reasons and has not yet handed it over. Differences between the two sides remain.
2. Everyone knows that "in Ukraine" in Russian is not "в Украине", but "на Украине", because some nouns with the meaning of place in Russian need to be used with the meaning of place or direction when expressing the meaning. The preposition на is used together, such as: на Украине(Украину), на Кавказе(Кавказ), на Кубе(Кубу)... Authoritative grammar works and textbooks all point out that на Украине(Украину) is the only form that conforms to the grammatical specifications. But now when expressing the meaning of "in Ukraine" in Russian, Ukrainians generally use в Украине. What's going on? This is because the name Ukraine was neither a name for a nation nor a country at first. It was the "border land" in the southwest of ancient Russia. In the ancient Russian language, Ukraine means "the place on the verge of the border" and "the place where countries meet." In fact, before the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Ukrainians continued to use the expression на Украине. However, since the disintegration of Ukraine and other former Soviet Union countries, they have transformed from countries with relatively weak independence to countries with independent sovereignty in the true sense. It is also unprecedentedly high, which is reflected in their active demand for the status they deserve as an independent and sovereign country in all aspects, and Ukrainians are no exception. At the same time, this national independence craze has also been correspondingly reflected in the language. Therefore, Ukrainians are no longer willing to continue using the pre-disintegration на Украине.
2. Speaking of the grievances between Russia and Ukraine, we have to dig through the thick history, starting with the first treaty signed between Ukraine and Russia more than 300 years ago - the 1654 Ukrainian-Russian Treaty. Let's talk about the Slavic Treaty... According to the provisions of the treaty, after Ukraine formed an alliance with Russia, it enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. In fact, it did not obtain the status of an independent country, and it had to pay taxes to the tsarist government. But in fact it is more than that. After years of war, Ukraine’s economic and military strength was unable to match Russia, the then Eastern European power. The disparity in strength determines the inequality of Ukraine-Russia relations and Russia's dominance over Ukraine, and lays the framework for the development of Ukraine-Russia relations. This unequal ethnic relationship has caused various conflicts and has had a negative effect on the development of Ukraine-Russia relations to this day.
3. As we all know, Ukraine and Russia are the two most important countries in the CIS. The relationship between Ukraine and Russia will have a significant impact on the stability and future of the CIS, as well as the European strategic pattern. . Ukraine’s relationship with Russia is very special. This particularity is the key to grasping the development of Ukraine-Russia relations and determines the limits of cooperation and conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In fact, from the founding of the Soviet Union in 1922 to the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the survival and development of Ukraine depended on the interests and needs of the Russian nation, the dominant nation in the Soviet Union. Ukraine and Russia had been in alliance for 300 years by 1954. Especially during the Soviet period, the two nations integrated and influenced each other in many aspects such as politics, economy, and culture, forming a profound and close relationship. This intertwined interest relationship that has been formed for a long time will not be terminated just because the two nations become independent. For Ukraine, its political stability and economic development depend largely on Russia. Developing relations with Russia occupies an important position in Ukraine's difficult process of consolidating national security and improving its political, economic and international status. In the eyes of Russia, Ukraine is not only Russia's economic partner, but more importantly, the current situation of Ukraine-Russia relations is directly related to Russia's strategic interests. The Soviet Union collapsed, the Warsaw Pact disbanded, and the European regional security system formed after World War II collapsed. In the process of forming a new security structure in Europe, the entire Eastern European region has been included in Russia's strategic interests, and Ukraine occupies an important position. Russia's transportation lifeline passes through Ukraine (Russian natural gas exports to Eastern and Central European countries , oil pipelines pass through Ukraine), maintaining Russia’s power presence in the Balkans, the Mediterranean, Transnistria, and the Black Sea also requires the help of Ukraine. If the relationship between Ukraine and Russia remains in good condition, Russia can more easily maintain its influence in the above-mentioned regions. On the contrary, Russia's interests will be harmed.
4. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there is a huge gap between Ukraine and Russia in terms of comprehensive national strength. In the CIS, Russia still occupies a central position. It is in a leading position in economic reforms, has a vast market and natural resources that other countries cannot compete with, and has a decisive influence on the situation in the CIS. Ukraine is in an obvious position. Disadvantages. Worried about history repeating itself, Russia is regarded as the main threat to Ukraine's national security. Former Ukrainian President Kravchuk regarded Russia as a lion sleeping next to Ukraine, ready to devour Ukraine at any time. Therefore, Ukraine is on guard against Russia in everything. Ukraine's suspicion and wariness of Russia cast a heavy shadow on the development of Ukraine-Russia relations.
On February 14, 1992, Ukraine and Russia established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. Relations between Ukraine and Russia have achieved a historic breakthrough. After Ukraine and Russia established diplomatic relations, the basic characteristics of the relationship between the two countries are that they are sometimes tense and sometimes relaxed. In the relationship between Ukraine and Russia, historical grudges and real-life interests and conflicts are intertwined and complicated. The issues of dividing the Black Sea Fleet, Crimea and the destruction of nuclear weapons were the main issues that affected the relationship between Ukraine and Russia. three dominant factors in development.
5. Coupled with the "vindictiveness" between Russia and Ukraine in recent years, conflicts between the two countries have slowly accumulated. Russia stopped paying Ukraine on the grounds that it was delaying its payment. The "vindictiveness" crisis caused by the supply of natural gas to Ukraine has been followed by more and more factors. Initially, Russia accused Ukraine of secretly intercepting natural gas destined for Europe. Later, Russia stopped transmitting gas to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines. Such a gas cessation The turmoil quickly spread to Europe, and the European Union immediately began to mediate. After many setbacks, Russia and Ukraine finally signed an agreement, and Russia immediately began to resume gas supplies to Europe. When the Europeans opened the valves of the gas pipelines, they found that the natural gas they had been waiting for was not available. It turns out that one wave has not subsided, but several waves have arisen again. Ukraine requires Russia to provide 21 million cubic meters of natural gas for free every day on the grounds that it needs technical gas. At the same time, it declares that the price of US$450 for the natural gas provided by Russia is unacceptable. Russia demands recovery of US$1.1 billion lost by Gazprom due to Ukraine's obstruction, which caused Gazprom to stop natural gas trade with Europe.
As time goes by, the conflicts are getting deeper and deeper, and Russia is undoubtedly the biggest protagonist in this turmoil. On the surface, Russia started to stop supplying gas to Ukraine because Ukraine failed to repay the US$2 billion in natural gas debt it owed. However, anyone with a discerning eye can tell that the "anger" between Russia and Ukraine over the years has never been just about money. The problem has profound political and economic background.
6. Everyone knows that since the "color revolution" occurred in Ukraine in 2005, Ukraine has adopted a foreign policy of being pro-Western and alienating Russia, actively seeking to join the European Union, especially NATO, and forming a coalition with some other CIS countries. The "GUAM Group" dug into Russia's walls. During the Russia-Georgia conflict, Ukraine actively supported Georgia's confrontation with Russia in political and military aspects. Among them, Ukraine's active application to join NATO is considered by Russia as an unacceptable bottom line and a key step in the United States and the West's attempt to encircle and squeeze Russia geostrategically. Therefore, it has long been expected that Russia will seize the opportunity to attack Ukraine. Due to objective reasons, Ukraine is highly dependent on Russia for energy, and this weakness has become a very convenient tool for Russia to attack. Therefore, the natural gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine is actually a two-pronged political and economic strategy. The purpose of Russia's two-pronged strategy is not just to warn Ukraine, but can achieve multiple purposes.
First of all, of course, it is to remind Ukraine not to go too far on the road against Russia. Ukraine has no way to move, and Russia has various ways to restrict Ukraine. Ukraine cannot be politically disadvantageous to Russia on the one hand, but on the other hand, it must enjoy the benefits of convenient and cheap energy from Russia. Secondly, through its "vindictiveness" with Ukraine, Russia also intends to prove to the EU that if Russia has "anger", the consequences will be very serious.
7. Let’s turn our attention to the worries of Ukraine and Russia at that time, which are the issues of dividing the Black Sea Fleet, the Crimea issue and the issue of destroying nuclear weapons. Let’s talk about the Black Sea Fleet first.
The Black Sea Fleet was founded by Catherine II, the famous empress in Russian history, in 1783. How awesome is this fleet? Let’s put it this way, it was developed by the Russian Navy. Witnessing history is the glory and pride of Russia. When the Soviet Union was liberated, the Black Sea Fleet had 97,000 officers and soldiers, 45 large surface ships, including aircraft carriers (Kuznetsov), helicopter carriers (Moscow and St. Petersburg), 10 destroyers, 30 frigates, cruisers and coastal ships. There are 100 frigates, 60 interceptor minesweepers, 5 landing ships, 50 supply and rescue ships, 28 submarines, and more than 400 fighter jets and helicopters, 140 of which can carry nuclear weapons. The Marine Corps of the Black Sea Fleet is equipped with 360 vehicles. The 126th Motorized Division is stationed in Simferopol, equipped with 270 tanks, 300 armored vehicles, and 300 infantry vehicles. The total value of the warships of the Black Sea Fleet is US$7.045 billion. This fleet is the only fleet in the CIS region that is not frozen by ice in winter. The most important parts of the Black Sea Fleet's coastal facilities are concentrated in Ukraine, mainly in Crimea. There are 4 ports in the city of Sevastopol where warships of any class can dock. This was definitely considered the leader in maritime power at the time.
Before the Soviet Union disintegrated, Russia had always controlled the Black Sea region with the help of the Black Sea Fleet.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia's geopolitical position in the Black Sea region has changed. The Black Sea Fleet is no longer a factor ensuring stability in the region, but has become a bargaining chip in political struggles. However, the Black Sea region remains of great importance to Russia. First of all, whether to control the Black Sea region is related to the national security of Russia’s southern border. In addition, the Black Sea is an area where Russia’s economic interests are concentrated and it is Russia’s only waterway to the Mediterranean and Pacific regions. We can see the importance of the Black Sea and the Black Sea Fleet to Russia from the following passage, "If we continue not to provide economic and material guarantees such as funds, spare parts, fuel, personnel, etc. to the fleet, then 2000 years ago we were in the Baltic Sea Its naval strength will fall behind Sweden and Germany, and it will lag far behind Turkey in the Black Sea region. If Russia does not have naval power in the region, Russia's geopolitical status will regress to 200-300 years ago."
Under such circumstances, the division of the Black Sea Fleet involves not only property issues, but also issues of national sovereignty and national security interests, which is very difficult. From Russia's perspective, losing the Black Sea Fleet means losing control of the Black Sea region. From Ukraine's perspective, the Black Sea Fleet's presence in Ukraine also means the loss of sovereignty. Regarding the division of the Black Sea Fleet, Russia must maintain its presence in the Black Sea region, while Ukraine must weaken Russia's influence in this region to maintain its own security. Therefore, the issue of ownership of the Black Sea Fleet has become an extremely sensitive issue in the political life of Ukraine and Russia. Later, the leaders of both parties communicated many times, but the progress was never smooth. It was not until May 28, 1997, when Russian Prime Minister V. Chernomyrdin visited Ukraine that the prime ministers of Ukraine and Russia finally signed relevant documents together. The two sides gained common understanding on the following issues, namely, Russia Confirming that Crimea and Sevastopol are Ukrainian territories, Russia agreed to lease Sevastopol (for a period of 20 years) for the Russian Black Sea Fleet to be stationed. Sevastopol is no longer the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, but the main fleet base of the Ukrainian Navy.
At this time, the Black Sea Fleet's coastal defense system was 100% destroyed, 70% of the command system was damaged, 72% of the logistics support and technical maintenance systems were paralyzed, all reconnaissance systems were destroyed, and the remaining forces were even destroyed. It is a problem to form a tactical detachment, let alone a strategic strike group." Even if such a fragmented and nearly paralyzed fleet exists, it exists in name only.
8. Regarding the Crimea issue, Crimea The Myan Peninsula is the only autonomous republic in Ukraine. It is located at the southernmost tip of Ukraine, bordering the Black Sea to the south and the Sea of ??Azov to the east. It has no land contact with Russia. It covers an area of ??about 27,000 square kilometers and is mostly Russian (inhabited by Russians). The city of Sevastopol, with more than 2/3 of the Russian population), as well as Ukrainians, some Tatars and other ethnic minorities, the capital is located in Simferopol. Crimea has a subtropical climate, with no severe cold in winter. There is no heat in summer, the climate is pleasant, and the scenery is beautiful. It was a famous tourist resort in the Soviet Union. Everything was fine at first, but due to various reasons, this treasure land became a concern between Russia and Ukraine.
Crimea's military strategic position is very important. Under the rule of the Tsarist Empire and the Soviet Union for 200 years, a complete set of military and military port bases were established here. It has Kerch, Sevastopol, and Yevpato. Among them, Sevastopol is a deep-water ice-free port and has established a complete set of supporting facilities (port, airport, railway, warehouse, maintenance base). One of the four major Soviet naval fleets, the Black Sea Fleet Headquarters, is stationed in Sevastopol. The city of Vastopol was used to ensure the security of the Soviet Union's sea lanes to Europe and the world. Historically, various ethnic groups established the State of Crimea in 1475-1774. -In the 17th century, the Cossacks of Zaporozhye launched a war against the Turkish Tatars, and the Russian army took the opportunity to conduct the Crimean expedition (1687-1689). In 1783, Crimea was officially annexed by Russia in 1921. On October 18, 2011, the Crimean Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic was established as a member of the Russian Federation. After World War II, it was renamed Crimea Oblast in 1945. The Crimean Peninsula has always been under the jurisdiction of Russia. In 1944, the Stalin government forced the Crimean Tatars to relocate elsewhere on the charge of "colluding with Hitler's occupiers."
This policy not only worsened relations between Russians and Tatars, but also caused huge losses to the Crimean economy. After Khrushchev came to power, in order to ease the ethnic conflicts in the region and revitalize the peninsula's economy, on February 19, 1954, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the merger of Ukraine and Russia (the Pereyaslav Agreement signed between Ukraine and Russia in 1654, according to The Crimea Oblast was transferred from Russia to Ukraine on the grounds of the merger of the two countries. In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Crimea joined Ukraine as an autonomous republic and was recognized by the international community. Russia has always been worried about this. On May 21, 1992, the Russian Parliament unilaterally passed a resolution on the abolition of the February 1954 transfer of Crimea from Russia to Ukraine, and on July 9, 1993, it passed a resolution on the recovery of the important navy of Crimea. Decree of the base city Sevastopol. Although Russia is not willing to publicly raise territorial claims to Ukraine, it is also unwilling to give up Crimea. This is because, since the 18th century, Crimea has been the base for Tsarist Russia to control the Black Sea coast, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans. Crimea's geographical location makes it key to controlling the Black Sea region, especially the western Black Sea. Losing Crimea would put Russia’s imperial position on the Black Sea and political influence in the Mediterranean into question. Maintaining influence over Crimea is an important factor for Russia to maintain its status as a great power and to restrict Ukraine in political, economic and military aspects. Crimea is a multi-ethnic region dominated by Russians. Russian cultural influence has always been dominant. Ukrainian cultural influence is very weak. The vast majority of residents only speak Russian. There are more newspapers and magazines in Russian than in Ukrainian. Many times, only a handful of Crimeans watch Kiev TV programs.
9. After Ukraine became independent, Ukrainian nationalist forces once played an important role in social and political life, and other ethnic groups were discriminated against. Under such circumstances, the momentum for the Russians in Crimea to return to Russia or become independent continues to grow. In addition, the Crimean Tatars who were forced to move elsewhere in 1944 by the Stalin government on charges of "colluding with Hitler's occupiers" returned to Crimea in batches, which also made ethnic relations in the region more complicated. The continued deterioration of the economy and living environment is the direct cause of the unrest in Crimea.
The Ukrainian government is well aware that the economic crisis is the main source of the Crimea problem. Therefore, in conjunction with political measures, it was decided to increase economic assistance to Crimea. Coupled with a series of measures taken by the Central Government of Ukraine, the situation in Crimea has seen positive changes that are conducive to Ukraine's domestic stability.
After several twists and turns, Russia finally did not want to return Crimea. Later, in order to strengthen mutual trust and cooperation, the leaders of both parties tried their best to make concessions on the matter. At that time, the Russian President, Parliament, and The government has stated on various occasions that the Crimea issue is Ukraine's internal matter.
But now I heard that the "Leading Party" has appeared in the Crimean Peninsula. This time the Russian army has entered Crimea. As shown in the picture, it is on the outskirts of Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine. , an uncle holding a Russian flag walked in front and led a group of Russian Army infantry. Let’s not talk about the identity of this uncle. First of all, for Ukraine, what is supposed to come will always come, because the lion sleeping next to him is simply pretending to sleep, but for the Russian residents of the Crimean Peninsula, Say, what is supposed to come has finally come. In any case, for Ukraine, I am always the one who gets hurt. Next let's talk about nuclear weapons.
1. The Soviet Union possessed a large number of nuclear weapons. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a total of 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine were shipped to Russia for destruction in May 1992. The nuclear weapons issue between Ukraine and Russia mainly refers to how to deal with the issue of strategic nuclear weapons in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, a large number of strategic nuclear weapons were left in Ukraine. These weapons include 176 interstate missiles (capable of carrying 1,240 nuclear warheads), including 46 "SS-24" missiles, each capable of carrying 10 warheads, and 130 "SS-19" missiles, each capable of carrying 6 warheads. . There are also 21 "Bear-H" bombers and 16 "Jolly Flag" bombers. These bombers can carry cruise missiles, a total of 1,800 nuclear missiles and 2 missile bases.
After Ukraine becomes independent, what stance it will take on strategic nuclear weapons in its territory is the focus of attention of the United States, Western countries and Russia.
In order to gain the trust of these countries and support for Ukraine's independence, in July 1990, the Ukrainian Parliament announced that the Ukrainian Democratic Republic would become a non-nuclear country. To be honest, as far as Ukraine is concerned, it couldn't hold these things at that time. Of course, Ukraine's non-nuclear policy has been welcomed by countries around the world, especially Western countries. But in terms of its strength, Ukraine is not yet capable of maintaining its status as a nuclear power. Ukraine not only lacks the necessary nuclear command and control, maintenance, and testing infrastructure, but also lacks funds. According to Western estimates at the time, Ukraine would need US$62-100 billion to establish nuclear weapons research, production, maintenance and other related infrastructure. This does not include the cost of upgrading the strategic nuclear weapons deployed by the Soviet Union in Ukraine. According to expert predictions, these nuclear weapons still have a safety period of 10 to 20 years. Once the safety period is over, they must all be replaced, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous. Obviously, this is beyond the reach of Ukraine’s economic strength.
However, Ukraine does not want to implement a denuclearization policy unconditionally. How to remove and destroy nuclear weapons while obtaining international security guarantees and economic compensation to solve the economic problems faced by Ukraine is the main prerequisite for the Ukrainian government to implement a denuclearization policy. The conditions proposed by Ukraine are: 1. Ukraine must participate in negotiations with the United States as an equal successor to the Soviet Union. This request has been agreed by the United States and Russia; 2. Seek security guarantees; 3. Demand economic compensation. Later, a tug of war started over the issue of nuclear weapons. Due to various reasons, the parties were unable to reach an agreement. Later, the then US President Clinton visited Moscow. After several twists and turns, on January 14, 1994, US President Clinton and Russian President Yeltsin and Ukrainian President Kravchuk signed a tripartite agreement in Moscow to eliminate nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Finally, the withdrawal of strategic nuclear warheads from Ukrainian territory was completed on June 1, 1996, and the large-scale destruction of missile silos was also successfully implemented in 1996. Since then, the nuclear weapons issue has finally come to an end.
11. Nowadays, the turmoil in Ukraine continues to escalate. The president has left and the parliament is scattered. Ukraine is caught between the EU and Russia and is in a precarious situation. For Ukraine, choosing to lean towards Russia or the EU has always been a difficult question. Just a few months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "Ukraine currently has no intention to join the EU. According to expert assessment, the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU will have a definite and very serious impact on Ukraine's economic environment." Putin explained He said that under the above circumstances, it would be difficult for customers to identify the trademark and country of origin of the goods, which would put Russian manufacturers into a "very embarrassing situation."
Looking back at previous signs, Russia has already been gearing up. A few months ago, Russian customs stepped up inspections of imported goods from Ukraine. All goods must undergo unloading inspection and must have ST-1 documents ( Proof that the goods were produced in Ukraine). This has caused a large number of Ukrainian exports to be detained at the Ukrainian-Russian border, resulting in large-scale traffic jams. Although the Russian government claims that the strict inspection measures of the Russian Federation Customs are determined by itself, Ukrainian experts believe that the Russian Customs is acting under the instructions of the government and is putting pressure on Ukraine because of its plan to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union. Then, a Ukrainian delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Boyko flew to Moscow and met with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov to discuss customs issues. The Ministry of Taxation of Ukraine subsequently stated that the Russian Federal Customs Service has resumed normal customs clearance procedures for goods imported from Ukraine. However, just a day later, Russian presidential adviser Sergei Gratiyev said that Russia would cancel the bilateral free trade agreement with Ukraine if Ukraine joins the EU Free Trade Area.
Putin’s statement has finalized the short-lived border trade dispute between Russia and Ukraine. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko believes that Ukrainian exporters have become "hostages" to Russian leaders' attempts to prevent Ukraine from joining the European Union. In fact, the "hostages" in Russia's hands are far more than just Ukrainian exporters. For example, the Russian-Ukrainian natural gas dispute that broke out in early 2009 directly affected 18 European countries. In comparison, Russia's attack on Ukraine this time can only be regarded as a "small move."
12. The EU or the Customs Union, Europe or Russia, is always a dilemma for Ukraine.
According to data from the Ukrainian Data Company, in the first half of 2013, Ukraine's exports of goods and raw materials to Russia were US$6.4 billion, imports were US$8.4 billion, and the trade deficit was US$2 billion; Ukraine's exports of raw materials and goods to the EU were US$73. billion, imports amounted to US$10.7 billion, and a deficit of US$3 billion. In terms of export commodity structure, Ukraine mainly exports metallurgy, mechanical engineering and power engineering products to Russia, while it mainly exports agricultural products to the EU. The trade volume between Ukraine and Russia and Europe is similar, and the trade structures do not overlap with each other. It can be said that losing the trade market of either party is a loss that Ukraine cannot bear.
Questions that cannot be answered at the economic level may be able to find out at the humanistic level. A survey shows that in recent years, more and more Ukrainians have chosen Egypt, Greece, Spain and Italy as their summer vacation destinations; only about one in six people choose to go to Russia, and among these people Most people are visiting relatives in Russia, mainly middle-aged and elderly people over 40 years old. In particular, young people aged 16 to 19 highly recommend traveling to Europe. A young Ukrainian man told reporters that in the six years since he started working, he has traveled almost all over Europe, but has never been to Russia once, and most of the young people around him are like this.
However, everything has an unpredictable side. Russia, which had just hosted the Winter Olympics and won global acclaim, accidentally "lost" Ukraine during the Olympics. The dramatic fall of Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych's regime was a major reversal for the Russian government. Just a few weeks ago, Russia seemed to have succeeded in bringing Ukraine back into its fold, but now Ukraine may be moving closer to the West. Coupled with the fact that the Russian army has entered Ukraine and the farce of backyard fires continues to occur, do they really have a good impression of Russia? I think this is not the case, of course, exceptions cannot be ruled out, but looking at the grievances and resentments between Russia and Ukraine over the past hundreds of years, it always feels boring to let outsiders interfere in family affairs. Therefore, after the Russian army entered the Crimean Peninsula, the interim president of Ukraine accused the Russian military of its actions in Crimea, Ukraine, saying that Russia's actions were "obvious aggression and threats." The US Secretary of State also threatened to impose military sanctions on Russia's military actions in Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, Germany, and the European Union also expressed their positions. The "competition" between all parties has made the situation in Ukraine increasingly tense. However, the chairman of the Russian Federation Council expressed his position on the development risks that the outside world is concerned about, saying that Russia and Ukraine "are brotherly countries and will never go to war."
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