Thread by @EuromaidanPress

Ukraine is an EU candidate! How did we get here?

Since @EuromaidanPress was born on Euromaidan, a thread 🧵 about Ukraine's most recent history 👇

Ukraine was always part of Europe. Geographically, historically, linguistically.

After the USSR broke up, 🇺🇦 started looking west, though pro-🇷🇺 forces also rode to power on Soviet nostalgia. But even pro-🇷🇺 Prez Yanukovych was on track to sign 🇺🇦🇪🇺 Association Agreement...👇

Enter Putin.

“[His] great anxiety was that Ukraine could become economically & politically successful so Russians would eventually ask themselves ‘Why are our brothers doing so well, while our situation remains dire?’” as advisor to Merkel said.

His fears grew w/Arab Spring👇

Russia called the EU-Ukraine trade deal (Association Agreement) a "major threat to Russian economy," and on 21 November 2013, Yanukovych suspended talks on the deal, citing Russian pressure.

The Ukrainians were not happy 👇

Afghani-Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Mayeem called on Kyivans to protest on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the central square of the capital.

Thus started #Euromaidan: a protest against the increasingly authoritarian Yanukovych + outrage at the European dreams that he slashed👇

At first, there were not a lot of people. Lots of students and activists. Lots of EU & Ukrainian flags, songs. But on 30 November, the Berkut special police beat up the students who decided to stay protest for the night. They escaped to a nearby monastery which offered refuge👇

On 1 December 2013, 500,000 outraged Ukrainians came out to central Kyiv.

This was no longer about an 🇪🇺🇺🇦 trade deal. It was about a desire for justice, dignity& a demand for change. A rebellion against authoritarianism and an aversity to the USSR 2.0 Putin was resurrecting👇

The protests continued to 21 Feb 2014. Euromaidan lived as a single organism. We had an "army" armed with wooden shields & a Maidan university. Each night we were attacked by Berkut police. >100 maidaners were killed, but we prevailed. And we won. 👇
euromaidanpress.com/2014/11/21/my-…

However, there was no time to celebrate. On 20 Feb 2014, Putin launched the occupation of Crimea, followed by sham referendum & annexation on 16 March. Russia's "Novorossiya" project was in full swing in SE Ukraine: pro-🇷🇺 crowds funded by Moscow were to call for Russian troops👇

The Novorossiya project failed, but Russia was fueling an insurgency in Donbas. Busloads of Russians shuttled into Ukraine helped overtake government buildings, GRU colonel Girkin led the fighting of militants. Ukraine's Army was in tatters. So volunteers signed up to fight 👇

Russia poured troops & equipment into Donbas. On 17 Jul 2014, 🇷🇺 Army servicemen shot passenger flight #MH17 above Donbas with a Buk.

But 🇺🇦 army & volunteer battalions successfully tackled 🇷🇺 proxies. Until the invasion of regular Russian Army & massacre at Ilovaisk, 24 Aug👇

Ukraine was pushed into signing the Minsk-1 "peace deal" which was aimed not so much at peace as freezing the conflict. But this was not enough for Russia, so after another open invasion in Feb 2015, Ukraine's post-Euromaidan president Poroshenko was forced to sign Minsk-2👇

Minsk-2 was not directed at peace, but at legalizing the Russian-controlled Donbas proxy states in Ukraine's political fabric, with Ukraine footing the bill. If 🇺🇦 implemented them how 🇷🇺 wanted, a time bomb under 🇺🇦 movement to Europe would be placed👇
euromaidanpress.com/2019/11/06/min…

From 2015 to 24 Feb 2022, Ukraine lived with a frozen conflict. Soldiers died at the frontline. But Ukraine set its goal on Europe & NATO. Euroatlantic aspirations were enshrined in the Constitution. A vibrant civil society pushed officials to reforms👇 euromaidanpress.com/2016/02/20/the…

Putin couldn't accept Ukraine leaving his empire. Over years, he ramped up propaganda demonizing Ukraine & West. He destabilized Ukraine and western democracies while striking lucrative deals with EU officials.

He geared up Russia for war. And unleashed it on 24 February 2022 👇

Thus, Ukraine found itself fighting for its survival because it dared to choose freedom, dared to proclaim itself a part of Europe. Because of that, as Russian troops encircled Kyiv, on 28 Feb 2022 Prez Zelenskyy applied for EU candidacy 👇

After Euromaidan, EU was lukewarm towards Ukraine's EU bid, helping with reforms but providing no definite membership perspective. Now the door is open!

But as you read this, 100s of Ukrainians die for European values & freedom. There is a war to win & we need your help! ❌🧵