In 2014, there was tension between Russia and Ukraine after the Ukrainian revolution, also known as the Revolution of Dignity. This was after protests happened when the president of Ukraine at the time, who was pro-Russia, President Yanukovych, decided to be closer to Russia instead of a free trade agreement with the European Union. According to Britannica, “violent altercations happened between protesters and police, killing 2 protesters. Later on, police snipers killed dozens of protesters.”
After this, Russia decided to take control of Crimea when the Ukrainian President left, and the ties with Russia were cut. There was a proxy war in the eastern part of Ukraine and tensions between the countries. In Apr. 2014, a war in Donbas broke out and separated the land into two different states, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), which were no longer part of Ukraine. In Jul. 2014, a plane was shot down over separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine which killing all 298 people on board.
In 2021, Russia started to set up troops and military equipment while denying plans to invade Ukraine. Up until this point, there were tensions and battles, but no full invasion until Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia decided to fully invade Ukraine. Russia set off missiles and bombed cities while troops invaded from the north, south, and eastern sides of Ukraine. This invasion has gone on since then, non-stop up until today, where there is still a lot of tension between the two countries.
As of Sept. 22, 2025, according to FOX News, the U.S. threatened Russia, while there is concern the war could spread onto NATO soil. According to Sky News, the UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that they would confront Russian planes, “if we need to,” as Russia continues to violate the airspace of the UK. According to The Independent, a German jet intercepted a Russian plane that was used as surveillance flying over the Baltic Sea. Two Swedish Gripen jets joined to monitor the aircraft. Also, according to The Independent, Trump has vowed to defend Poland in the war.
Sources: Sky News, FOX News, The Independent
