Ukraine
Second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast.
- Political regime
- Electoral autocracy
- All countries · 2025
V-Dem (Regimes of the World), via Our World in Data
Where the country stands
- Refugees from Ukraine
- 6.9M
- People from Ukraine recorded as refugees across Europe and beyond.Source: UNHCR
Territory under foreign administration. Crimea and Sevastopol are shown as part of Ukraine. They have been administered by the Russian Federation since 2014; the UN General Assembly has not recognised the annexation. Basis: UN General Assembly resolution 68/262 (2014).
News about Ukraine
- Living ConditionsLiving Through the War: Daily Life in UkraineAir-raid schedules, rolling blackouts and a workforce reorganised around them — how ordinary routines adapted to a fourth year of full-scale war.
- International RelationsEnlargement Returns: The EU's Eastern QuestionAccession talks with Ukraine and Moldova reopened a debate the Union had shelved for a decade — and exposed how little its institutions are designed for thirty-plus members.
Regional profile
Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Ukraine is part of Eastern Europe & Central Asia. Our editors write about the region as a whole — its story, topics and sources below cover all its countries.
View the whole region →Eastern Europe is a region shaped by resilience, where imperial facades, communist blocks, and modern glass towers coexist, reflecting a past that still influences daily life. Society balances tradition with rapid change, navigating political skepticism, economic transition, and European integration. Living conditions vary between vibrant capitals and modest provincial towns, where hard work, education, and family networks remain central. Pragmatic, resourceful, and quietly ambitious, the region moves between memory and progress with persistent strength.
Timeline
Historical Context of the Region
An overview of the key events since the Ukrainian declaration of independence in 1991.
Ukraine declares its independence
24 August 1991
The declaration was followed by a referendum on 1 December 1991, in which it was affirmed by an overwhelming majority in all regions of the country. Leonid Kravchuk was elected the first president of Ukraine on the same day.
Leonid Kuchma is elected President of Ukraine
10 July 1994
Kuchma defeated the incumbent Kravchuk in a second-round run-off, advocating for pro-market reforms and for strengthening economic ties with Russia through cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Signing of the Budapest Memorandum
5 December 1994
As signatories, Russia, the USA and the UK committed to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The Soviet-commissioned nuclear arsenal stationed on Ukrainian soil was given up as a result of the treaty.
The Orange Revolution
November 2004 – January 2005
Mass protests against a rigged presidential run-off forced a re-run, which Viktor Yushchenko won. The episode established street mobilisation as a working corrective to electoral fraud in Ukrainian politics.
Euromaidan and the annexation of Crimea
November 2013 – March 2014
The suspension of the EU Association Agreement triggered months of protest that ended with the removal of Viktor Yanukovych. Russia responded by annexing Crimea and backing armed separatism in Donbas.
Full-scale Russian invasion
24 February 2022
Russia attacked Ukraine along multiple axes. The failure to take Kyiv turned the war into a prolonged conflict that reshaped European security, energy policy and the EU's enlargement agenda.
EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova
23 June 2022
The European Council granted candidate status to both countries, reopening an enlargement process that had been effectively frozen for a decade.
Maps & charts
Seen through maps and data
Selected visualisations from organisations that track this part of the world.
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Learn more elsewhere
Documentaries, lectures, reports and databases picked by the Atlas team.
Videos & Documentaries
Lectures & Debates
Common questions
Why did Russia invade Ukraine?
What do people around the world think about the war?
Is Ukraine going to join the European Union?
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Timeline
Test
The events that shaped the current situation.
TEst 1
1.1.2026
test 2
2.2.2026