Ukraine

A successor state of Kievan Rus' in western Ukraine, later absorbed by Poland and Lithuania.

A Cossack rebellion against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that founded the Cossack Hetmanate.

A Ukrainian Cossack state that grew increasingly subordinate to the Russian Empire before its abolition.

After the partitions of Poland most Ukrainian lands fell under Russian imperial rule, with policies suppressing the Ukrainian language.

A short-lived independent state during the revolutions and wars following the fall of the Russian Empire.

Soviet Ukraine, a founding republic of the USSR until it declared independence in 1991.

A man-made famine that killed millions of Ukrainians, recognized by many countries as genocide.

Ukraine declared independence as the Soviet Union dissolved, confirmed by a nationwide referendum.

Mass protests over a rigged presidential election forced a re-vote, marking a turn toward the West.

Protests against the government's turn away from the EU ousted the president and reoriented Ukraine westward.

Russia seized and annexed Crimea following Euromaidan, an act not recognized by most of the world.

Russia's full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022; the war is ongoing (end year shown as the present).