The Ukraine-Russia conflict began in 2013 when Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych decided not to sign a trade deal with the European Union and instead accepted a Russian bailout, sparking mass protests. In 2014, Yanukovych was removed from office by parliament and fled to Russia. Russia then seized control of Crimea and backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. The US and EU imposed economic sanctions on Russia in response, and tensions escalated further after MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine. Ukraine remains divided between pro-Russian eastern regions and the west which favors integration with the EU, while a resolution to the ongoing conflict remains elusive.

1. COMM.6100 Advanced Communication Skills
Assessment 3.
Conflict Negotiation
ROBERT BARTLE

2. The Ukraine Russia Conflict

3. Conflict
It began when the Ukrainian president Vicktor Yankovych decided not to sign the agreement
with the European Union in November 2013 which would have the Ukraine more integrated with
the EU. Instead taking a bailout from Russia in the sum of 15 Billion Dollars.(1)
This was not just a trade agreement, but also a political agreement that committed Ukraine to
adhere to certain European values and principles. Many Ukrainians wanted the EU deal, because
they thought it would help their countries economy.(1)
Many Ukrainians saw this as a betrayal and felt Yankovych had sold out the country to Russia.
This lead to “Euromaidan” the name of the anti-government protests with demands like “sign the
EU deal” to “Yankovych must step down” (1)
The next few months President Yankovych tried to put down protest by deploying internal
security forces. Then passing laws that that would heavily restrict Ukrainian citizens rights to
speech and assembly. This ended up making things worse.(1)
In February, Parliament voted to remove Yankoychs’ powers and end the crackdown on protests,
and then voting to remove him completely. With his powers stripped and growing anti-protests
Yankovych fled the country to Russia where he is now in Exile. (1)

4. Conflict cont Crimea
Crimea is a region of the Ukraine that is under Russian occupation. It had special
autonomy and Russian military bases. Before 1991 Crimea was part of the Soviet
Union and Russian Empire, most citizens are Russian. (1)
In February not long after Yankovych was removed, armed gunmen started
seizing government buildings in Crimea. The number of gunmen grew until it
was clear that they were Russian military, who used brute force and violence to
bring Crimea into Russian military occupation. On March the 16th citizens of
Crimea voted for their region to be part of Russia. (1)
The world saw the vote as wrong because, the area was in Russian military
occupation, it had no international monitoring , reports of intimidation, it was
pushed through in a matter of weeks with no warning and it was illegal under
Ukrainian law. (1)

5. Conflict cont Sanctions
The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia.(1)
On March 2014 the first sanctions imposed on Russia were issued, these were to
stop Russian and Crimean officials and Politicians travelling to Canada, the US
and the European Union. Japan also placed sanctions against Russia.
Suspension of talks regarding military matters, space, investments and visa
requirements.(1)
On April the 28th the US placed a ban on business transactions on several
Russian officials and companies. The EU stated that their sanctions are designed
to bring in change in policy and or activity by the target country.(1)
Since then more sanctions from the US, the EU and other countries have been
placed on Russia, from targeting Russian arms and energy, freezing assets of
individuals to banning cooperation with Russian oil firms.(1)

6. Conflict cont MH17
On July 17th Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine
where Russian rebels are active, killing all 300 people on board. Russia had
supplied the rebels with long range missile systems. It’s most likely that the
rebels mistook flight 17 for a military aircraft and shot it down. (1)
The situation was worsened by rebels blocking inspectors access to the crash
site, with reports of militants being drunk and preventing the bodies from being
removed allowing looters to steal from luggage and bodies. Also holding onto the
aircrafts black box. (1)
The shoot-down led the US and EU to impose more tougher sanctions on
Russia.(1)

7. Parties involved Russia
President Putin says the Russia is not invading eastern Ukraine.
However soldiers, tanks and artillery have been crossing the border
since August.(1)
Putin has been backing the rebels and stirring up violence in eastern
Ukraine. He is doing this either because he wants to maintain a crisis so
he has leverage over the Ukrainian government to make sure they don’t
cross him, or he wants to have an excuse to invade on the notion of
saving eastern Ukrainians. The idea is that Putin is after some goal and
won’t stop until he has achieved it.(1)

8. Parties involved Ukraine
The protests in Ukraine began when the government declined to sign
the European Union’s bill in November. The bill would see the Ukraine
closer to the EU, while the government wanted stronger relations with
Russia instead.(2)
Ukraine has been separated between east and west since the collapse of
the Soviet Union. 46% of Ukrainians support the integration with the
EU, while 36% oppose it.(2)

9. Parties involved The US and EU
The US and EU are punishing Putin for annexing Crimea and invading
the Ukraine. But nothing that will force Putin to call back his armed
forces or return Crimea to the Ukraine.(1)
The US and EU started by imposing economic sanctions aimed at Putin
and his inner circle. That has since widened to include part of the
Russian economy.(1)

10. Resolutions
With the Ukraine split in two, Crimea under Russian control and the
world wide sanction on Russia, a resolution seems far away. At the
moment the best solution would be to Compromise, find a middle
ground that satisfies all parties. Even this would be difficult to achieve
with so many countries involved through sanctions and unwanted
involvement a resolution to this conflict will take a very long time.

11. References
(1) Fisher, Max. "Everything you need to know about the Ukraine
crisis." vox.com. N.p., 3 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.vox.com/cards/ukraine-everything-you-need-to-know/
what-is-the-ukraine-crisis>.
(2) Manni, Marian. "Ukraine's crisis explained." Fair Observer. N.p., 26
Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.