Russia is a vast country, ranking first in the world in terms of land area. At the same time, Russia is also a resource-rich country, with oil, natural gas, coal and other resources in the forefront of the world. The exploitation and export of these resources are very important to Russia's economic development.
As a close neighbor of Russia, Ukraine's geographical position is very important. Ukraine is Russia's traditional sphere of influence and an important channel for Russian oil and gas pipelines. Russia controls Ukraine, which can ensure its stable export of oil, natural gas and other resources to Europe, thus ensuring its own economic development.
The influence of historical factors
Russia and Ukraine have complicated historical origins. During the Soviet period, Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, and the relationship between Russia and Ukraine was very close. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the independence of Ukraine, great changes have taken place in Russian-Ukrainian relations.
For more than 20 years after Ukraine's independence, Russia-Ukraine relations have not been very friendly. Russia believes that Ukraine's independence is illegal and tries to influence Ukraine's politics and economy in various ways. Ukraine tried to get rid of the influence of Russia and go to Europe.
operation sequence/order
Russia took a series of actions against Ukraine.
1. Invasion of Crimea
In 20 14, Russia occupied the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine. This action triggered strong condemnation from the international community and led to further deterioration of relations between Ukraine and Russia.
2. Support the separatist forces in Donbass.
Since 20 14, the separatist forces in Donbass have been launching violent actions in an attempt to split the Donbass region of Ukraine. Russia has been supporting these separatist forces by providing weapons and economic assistance.
3. Economic sanctions against Ukraine
Since 20 14, Russia has imposed a series of economic sanctions on Ukraine, including stopping the export of natural gas to Ukraine and prohibiting Ukraine from importing Russian food. These sanctions have had a great impact on Ukraine's economy.