Country profile
Population: 45.1 million (UN, 2001)
Area: 603,700 square km
Capital: Kiev
Major languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Political structure
The Constitution of Ukraine (adopted in 1996) defines the country as a unitary democratic state. Ukraine is a presidential-parliamentary republic, where the executive power is exercised by directly elected President for five-year term. The President nominates the Prime Minister and approves the Cabinet, which must be as well confirmed by the parliament. The parliament holds only de jure responsibilities for the Cabinet formation. In 2006 the political reform came into force, which has granted the parliament with extended responsibilities limiting the presidential power and de facto laying down the foundations of parliamentary democracy. The Cabinet was ought to be formed based on the parliamentary majority or majority coalition. However, in a few years the reform was abolished, and the country was returned to the stronger presidential ruling and weak Prime Minister. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral parliament called Verkhovna Rada, which consists of 450 members and is elected for a five years term based on a mixed electoral system. The current parliament consist of 5 political parties with a ruling coalition of the President Viktor Yanukovych’ Party of Regions, Communist party, People’s Party of the parliament chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn, and individual members from the opposition, who have left their fractions (namely, Yulia Tymoshenko Block and Our Ukraine Self-Defense Block).
Regions
Ukraine is a country with strong regional differences. Administratively it is divided into 24 oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The regions are roughly divided, oftentimes with political considerations in mind, into Western and Eastern Ukraine (including the Southern part of Crimea).A significant minority of the Russian population resides in the Eastern parts, as well as in Crimea, what consequently constitutes strong link with Russia.
The Western part (Uzhorod, Lviv, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi) historically was under immense influence of foreign empires or countries, mostly Austro-Hungarian empire and Poland, what heavily influenced the culture and traditions of the region. During the Second World War the region took a nationalistic stance and was fighting against both, Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The pro-national views remain prevalent in the region, since it is characterized by the highest among other regions level of the Ukrainian language use, whereas the Eastern parts are predominantly Russian-speaking. The cultural and historical non-similarities frequently represent a fertile soil for politicians to exploit the image of regions with a varying framing: from diversity and difference to division. The historical implications get also reflected on the political views of the people from different parts of the country. Whereas the East and South are more inclined to the notion of strong brotherhood ties with Russia, the Western and Central parts opt for the European dimension in the Ukrainian geopolitical integration question.
Indicators and statistics
Freedom in the World. Freedom House, 2012.
Freedom of the Press. Freedom House, 2011.
Nations in Transit. Freedom House, 2012.
Transparency International corruption rate.
International Human Development Indicators, UNDP.
Financial positions, IMF, as of 31.07.2012.
World development indicators, The World Bank.
Independent Ukraine: timeline
1991, 24 August – Ukraine proclaims independence
1991, 1 December – 90% of citizens declare their support to the sovereignty during the national referendum. Leonid Kravchuk is the first president of the restored republic.
1991, 8 December – Official dissolution of the USSR
1994, January – Agreement between Ukraine and the USA due to which Ukraine abandoned its nuclear weapons in exchange for the sovereignty guaranties
1994 – Ukraine and the European Union sign a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) that institutionalizes political dialogue between two sides (entered into force in 1998)
1994, July – Leonid Kuchma wins the presidential elections
1995 – Ukraine becomes a member of the Council of Europe
1996, 28 June – Adoption of the Constitution
1996, September – New state currency, hryvnia, is introduced
1997 – Ukraine signs a Friendship treaty with Russia
1998 – Elections to the parliament and local governments. The re-established Communist party gains 24, 7% of electoral support
1999 – Ukraine abolishes the death penalty
1999, November – L. Kuchma is elected President for the second time in a rivalry with the Communist party candidate P. Symonenko
1999, December – Viktor Yushchenko is appointed Prime-Minister of Ukraine. Yulia Tymoshenko becomes deputy Prime Minister for fuel and energy
1999, December – Adoption of an EU Common Strategy on Ukraine
2000 – Chernobyl nuclear power plant is shut down
2000, September – Murder of the oppositional journalist Georgi Gongadze
2000, December – First massive protest “Ukraine without Kuchma”
2002, March – Parliamentary elections based on the mixed electoral system are held. Pro-governmental majority takes 175 places out of 450. The Yulia Tymoshenko Block gets parliamentary seats for the first time. Opposition accuses Kuchma of massive electoral fraud
2002, November – V. Yanukovych is appointed Prime Minister
2003, August – Ukraine sends a peace mission to Iraq
2004, May – Adoption of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) building upon the 1994 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
2004, September – Alleged poisoning of the opposition presidency candidate V. Yushchenko
2004, 31 October – First round of the presidential elections took place. V. Yushchenko and V. Yanukovych gain a majority of votes
2004, 21 November – V. Yanukovych wins the presidential elections with a minimal outweigh
2004, 22 November – Massive protest takes place in the whole country against the fraud of election results. People occupy the main square in Kiev – Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The uprising is named Orange Revolution after the colours of the opposition forces.
2004, 3 December – The Supreme Court cancels the presidential election results of the second round. The Central Electoral Committee announces and schedules the re-elections, the so-called third round.
2004, December 26 – V. Yushchenko wins the elections and became the third president of Ukraine
2005, February 5 – Yulia Tymoshenko is appointed as Prime Minister
2005, September – The Tymoshenko government is dismissed after prolonged political struggle in the Orange team; Yuriy Yekhanurov is appointed as Prime Minister
2005, November – The US Senate abolishes the Jackson-Vanik amendment (the Soviet time legacy), which was limiting the trade with Ukraine
2006, February – The US Senate grants Ukraine status of a market economy country
2006, March – Parliamentary elections are held. Party of Regions gets 186 places, Yulia Tymoshenko Block – 129
2006, August – V. Yanukovych is appointed as Prime Minister
2007, March-May – The Verkhvovna Rada is dismissed due to severe violations of the coalition of majority formation
2007, September 30 – The early parliamentary elections take place. The leading Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc forms a minimal coalition.
2007, December 18 – Y. Tymoshenko is appointed as Prime Minister for the second time, in coalition with President Yushchenko’s party
2008, April 2-4 – NATO summit in Bucharest. Ukraine and Georgia are denied a membership action plan despite the USA support.
2008, May – Ukraine becomes a member of WTO
2008, October – The European Parliament recognizes the 1932-1933 famine (caused by the Soviet regime) as a crime against humanity
2009, January – Russian Gazprom ceases gas export to Ukraine after collapse of talks to end row over unpaid bills and prices, leading to shortages in southeast Europe. In the same month two sides (Y. Tymoshenko and V. Putin) signed a 10-year agreement regulating the conditions of the gas supply
2009, May-June – Ukraine becomes a participating country in the Eastern Partnership – a new ENP project of the EU
2009 – 2010 – EU and Ukraine negotiate an Association Agreement
2010 – EU and Ukraine announce a Visa Liberalization Action Plan
2010, January – First round of presidential elections. V. Yanukovych and Y. Tymoshenko ahead.
2010, February 7 – V. Yanukovych wins the presidential elections with 48, 95% of votes against 45, 7% for Y. Tymoshenko
2010, March – The pro-democratic coalition ceases its existence and the government of Y. Tymoshenko is dismissed
2010, March 11 – Mykola Azarov, Party of Regions member, is appointed as Prime Minister
2010, April 29 – The controversial Kharkiv agreement between Ukraine and Russia is signed by the presidents and ratified by the Ukrainian parliament. It envisages an extension of the Russian Black Sea Fleet lease till the year 2042.
2010, June – Parliament votes to abandon NATO membership strategic goal
2011, August 5 – Y. Tymoshenko is arrested for criminally exceeding her authority over a 10-year gas contract signed with Russia in 2009. Prosecutors claim Tymoshenko had not had cabinet approval to sign and the deal had been ruinous for the Ukrainian economy. In October 2011 she is sentenced to 7 years imprisonment; in December ex-Prime Minister was transferred to the jail near Kharkiv.
2012, May – Ukraine postpones an annual summit of Central and East European leaders in Yalta after the presidents of participating countries have refused to come in protest for the treatment of jailed Y. Tymoshenko.
2012, June – Ukraine and Poland co-host the football championship Euro-2012. A number of European leaders decide to boycott the event and not to visit the games due to the human rights violation in Ukraine and the case of Y. Tymoshenko
2012, 28 October – Parliamentary elections take place
Sources: BBC Ukraine timeline