This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Ukraine–Russia conflict, including its historical context, key events, and current situation. Here are some of the main points:
**Historical Context:**
* The US Holocaust Memorial Museum has rejected a Russian claim that Ukrainian Nazis collaborated with Nazi Germany during WWII.
* Russia’s attempt to stop Ukraine from leaving its sphere of influence began in 2014 when pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted after months of mass demonstrations.
**The War:**
* Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and occupied parts of the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
* The Minsk agreements, brokered by France, Germany, and Russia itself, failed to stop the war and created a frozen conflict on Russia’s terms.
* The war escalated in 2022 with full-scale Russian invasion.
**Current Situation:**
* Neither side has any realistic prospect of winning the war, which is now in a state of attrition.
* Russia annexed four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine after sham referendums but can only claim to have full control of one of them, Luhansk.
* Ukrainian forces have liberated large areas of the north and parts of the south but have not had recent successes.
**Humanitarian Impact:**
* Tens of thousands of people have died since Putin sent in troops in 2022.
* Over 6.9 million Ukrainians have sought refuge abroad, and a further 3.7 million have fled their homes inside Ukraine.
* At least 12,000 civilians have lost their lives in Ukraine.
**Economic Impact:**
* Russia’s economy has been hit hard by the war, with high interest rates and inflation and defence spending of at least 33% of the federal budget.
* Ukraine’s economic growth has been hindered by attacks on its energy infrastructure and occupation of industrial areas.