Changes

After the [[Soviet Union]] broke apart in 1991, Russia and Ukraine tried to find a relationship as separate countries.  In 1992, the Crimean Parliament voted to hold a referendum to declare independence, while the Russian Parliament voted to void the cession of Crimea to Ukraine.<ref name=Serge>{{cite news|last=Schmemann |first=Serge|title=Crimea Parliament Votes to Back Independence From Ukraine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/06/world/crimea-parliament-votes-to-back-independence-from-ukraine.html |accessdate=3 March 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=6 May 1992}}</ref><ref name=Serge2>{{cite news |last=Schmemann|first=Serge|title=Russia Votes to Void Cession of Crimea to Ukraine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/22/world/russia-votes-to-void-cession-of-crimea-to-ukraine.html |accessdate=3 March 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=22 May 1992}}</ref>  However, Russia backed pro-Russian political leaders in Ukraine.   

After the [[Soviet Union]] broke apart in 1991, Russia and Ukraine tried to find a relationship as separate countries.  In 1992, the Crimean Parliament voted to hold a referendum to declare independence, while the Russian Parliament voted to void the cession of Crimea to Ukraine.<ref name=Serge>{{cite news|last=Schmemann |first=Serge|title=Crimea Parliament Votes to Back Independence From Ukraine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/06/world/crimea-parliament-votes-to-back-independence-from-ukraine.html |accessdate=3 March 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=6 May 1992}}</ref><ref name=Serge2>{{cite news |last=Schmemann|first=Serge|title=Russia Votes to Void Cession of Crimea to Ukraine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/22/world/russia-votes-to-void-cession-of-crimea-to-ukraine.html |accessdate=3 March 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=22 May 1992}}</ref>  However, Russia backed pro-Russian political leaders in Ukraine.   

At the same time, most Ukrainians favored stronger ties with Europe and sought to join the [[European Union]] and perhaps even [[NATO]]. Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] was pressured by Russia to delay signing a treaty that would lead to Ukraine joining the EU, which lead to widespread [[Euromaidan]] riots in a U.S.-backed [[color revolution]] with support from Ukrainian [[neo-Nazi]] paramilitary group that overturned the government.  On February 22, 2014, Yanukovych fled Kyiv for Russia.<ref name="WP Yanukovych missing">{{cite news|last=Booth|first=William|title=Ukraine’s Yanukovych missing as protesters take control of presidential residence in Kiev|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraines-president-open-to-early-vote-polish-leader-says-scores-reported-killed-in-clashes/2014/02/21/05d3de46-9a82-11e3-b931-0204122c514b_story.html|accessdate=23 March 2014|newspaper=Washington Post|date=22 February 2014}}</ref> He was then impeached. Although Russia was constrained from responding while hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, a week after the Olympics ended, Russia moved against the Western installed regime in Kyiv by taking actions Russian-majority regions of Crimea and in the [[Donbas]] of eastern Ukraine.

At the same time, most Ukrainians favored stronger ties with Europe and sought to join the [[European Union]] and perhaps even [[NATO]]. Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] was pressured by Russia to delay signing a treaty that would lead to Ukraine joining the EU, which lead to widespread [[Euromaidan]] riots in a U.S.-backed [[color revolution]] with support from Ukrainian [[neo-Nazi]] paramilitary group that overturned the government.  On February 22, 2014, Yanukovych fled Kyiv for Russia.<ref name="WP Yanukovych missing">{{cite news|last=Booth|first=William|title=Ukraine’s Yanukovych missing as protesters take control of presidential residence in Kiev|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraines-president-open-to-early-vote-polish-leader-says-scores-reported-killed-in-clashes/2014/02/21/05d3de46-9a82-11e3-b931-0204122c514b_story.html|accessdate=23 March 2014|newspaper=Washington Post|date=22 February 2014}}</ref> He was then impeached. Although Russia was constrained from responding while hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, a week after the Olympics ended, Russia moved against the Western installed regime in Kyiv by taking actions in Russian-majority regions of Crimea and in the [[Donbas]] of eastern Ukraine.

Five days after the ouster of Ukraine's [[democracy|democratically]] elected president in the [[Western alliance|Western]]-backed [[Maidan coup]], Russian soldiers landed in Crimea.<ref>https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point</ref>  Because some of the people currently living in Crimea are ethinic Russians, there was a dispute whether Crimea belongs to Ukraine or to Russia.<ref>https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-warns-russia-over-military-moves-crimea</ref>  On March 11, 2014, Crimea declared its independence from Ukraine.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2578160/Ukraines-fugitive-president-blasts-bandit-regime-says-country-heading-civil-war.html</ref>  The Crimean Peninsula—82% of whose households speak Russian, and only 2% mainly Ukrainian—held a plebiscite on March  16, 2014 on whether or not they should join Russia, or remain under the new Ukrainian government. The Pro-Russia camp won with 95% of the vote. The UN General Assembly, led by the US, voted to ignore the referendum results on the grounds that it was contrary to Ukraine’s constitution. This same constitution had been set aside to oust [[President Yanukovych]] a month earlier.<ref>https://fair.org/home/what-you-should-really-know-about-ukraine/</ref>   

Five days after the ouster of Ukraine's [[democracy|democratically]] elected president in the [[Western alliance|Western]]-backed [[Maidan coup]], Russian soldiers landed in Crimea.<ref>https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point</ref>  Because some of the people currently living in Crimea are ethinic Russians, there was a dispute whether Crimea belongs to Ukraine or to Russia.<ref>https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-warns-russia-over-military-moves-crimea</ref>  On March 11, 2014, Crimea declared its independence from Ukraine.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2578160/Ukraines-fugitive-president-blasts-bandit-regime-says-country-heading-civil-war.html</ref>  The Crimean Peninsula—82% of whose households speak Russian, and only 2% mainly Ukrainian—held a plebiscite on March  16, 2014 on whether or not they should join Russia, or remain under the new Ukrainian government. The Pro-Russia camp won with 95% of the vote. The UN General Assembly, led by the US, voted to ignore the referendum results on the grounds that it was contrary to Ukraine’s constitution. This same constitution had been set aside to oust [[President Yanukovych]] a month earlier.<ref>https://fair.org/home/what-you-should-really-know-about-ukraine/</ref>