The Troubled Transition to 30 Years of Peace

The Rada had proposed a Ukrainian Declaration of Independence in August 1991. A referendum ratified it by a more than 90% “yes” vote on December 1st. A week later, Ukraine was officially on its own.

For the first time in eight centuries.

For the Ukrainian nationalists, it was a day of long awaited jubilation: Free at last! For the Russians, it was a deep humiliation. Slava Ukraine! sang the gleeful, newly released Ukrainians—Glory to Ukraine. Everyday Russians were bewildered by so much happiness. Russia released its grip on Ukraine with the same reluctance that the Western European states granted freedom to their African colonies.

The Warsaw Pact nations and Baltics immediately joined NATO. That caused instant alarm in Russia and those nations that remained aligned to it. To make tensions deeper, Ukraine (along with Moldova and Georgia) started showing interest in joining NATO too. This would become an important part of Putin's defense of his moves on Ukraine.