Ukraine's new path blocked by a meddling neighbour

Following the 2014 removal of President Viktor Yanukovych, Russia intervened militarily in Ukraine, leading to the annexation of Crimea via a disputed referendum. The author argues that Russia's justification of protecting the 'Russian world' sets a dangerous precedent for further aggression against other former Soviet states.

• Following the political standoff in February 2014, President Viktor Yanukovych fled Kyiv, leading the parliament to effectively impeach him by voting that he had 'removed himself from authority' to establish a legitimate central power.
• On 27 February 2014, pro-Russian forces took over the Crimean parliament, and on 1 March, President Vladimir Putin received parliamentary approval for military intervention in Ukraine under the pretext of defending Russian speakers.
• Russia annexed Crimea following a referendum on 15 March 2014, which reported a 97% vote in favour of joining Russia with an 85% turnout, though Crimean Tartar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev claimed a leaked document showed only a 34% turnout.
• The international community largely rejected the annexation, with 100 countries voting for a United Nations General Assembly resolution on 27 March supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, while nations including the US, Japan, Canada, Australia and EU member states imposed targeted sanctions.
• The author argues that Russia's use of the 'protection of the Russian world' concept to justify its actions creates a dangerous precedent that may lead to military intervention in other former Soviet members, such as the Baltic countries.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2014). Ukraine's new path blocked by a meddling neighbour. https://saiia.org.za/research/ukraines-new-path-blocked-by-a-meddling-neighbour/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Ukraine's new path blocked by a meddling neighbour. 2014. https://saiia.org.za/research/ukraines-new-path-blocked-by-a-meddling-neighbour/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Ukraine's new path blocked by a meddling neighbour |date=8 April 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/ukraines-new-path-blocked-by-a-meddling-neighbour/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2014ukraines, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Ukraine's new path blocked by a meddling neighbour}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/ukraines-new-path-blocked-by-a-meddling-neighbour/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }