When Did Ukraine Really Gain 'independence' — 1991 Or 2013?

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Viktor Yanukovych was Ukraine president in 2013. He later fled to exile in Russia, and his current whereabouts are unknown (Photo: Thierry Ehrmann)
When did Ukraine really gain 'independence' — 1991 or 2013? 0 CommentsEU & the WorldRule of LawUkraineOpinionby Mark Temnycky, Washington,

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the West assumed that the development of democracy and a prosperous capitalist economy for nations emerging out of the USSR would be axiomatic. This was not the case.

Take, for example, Ukraine.

In December 1991, the Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly to become independent, and Crimean residents chose to remain with Ukraine rather than Russia.

Leonid Kravchuk was then elected as the first president of Ukraine. The Ukrainians established...

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Author Bio

Mark Temnycky is Ukrainian-American freelance journalist covering Eastern Europe and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.

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Viktor Yanukovych was Ukraine president in 2013. He later fled to exile in Russia, and his current whereabouts are unknown (Photo: Thierry Ehrmann)

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EU & the WorldRule of LawUkraineOpinion

Author Bio

Mark Temnycky is Ukrainian-American freelance journalist covering Eastern Europe and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.

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