Timeline Archives

1 December:
Referendum on Ukrainian independence from the Soviet-Union
83.9% of the voters in Donetsk supported Ukrainian Independence, as well as 83.6% of the voters in Luhansk.

8 December:
Belovezh Accords
This treaty, signed by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, brought about the end of the Soviet-Union. A new organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States was formed.

21 December:
Alma Ata Protocols
Signed by 11 countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan), recognizing and respecting each other’s integrity and inviolability of existing borders.

5 December: Budapest memorandum
Following negotiations involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, the USA and Great Britain, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was assured. In exchange, Ukraine relinquished all of its nuclear warheads to Russia for decommissioning and joined the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) as a non-nuclear state.

22 November: Orange Revolution in Ukraine
“Orange Revolution” refers to the events associated with the presidential elections of 2004 in Ukraine. When reports made clear that election officials were in on electoral fraud, over one million citizens poured into the streets of Kyiv, marched in protest and formed human barricades around government buildings.

Russia fights possible Ukrainian NATO Membership
NATO summit with intense debate about extending a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Ukraine. President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin makes his opposition to Ukrainian membership known. NATO does not offer Ukraine a MAP.

21 November
Preparation for agreement regarding association between EU and Ukraine is put on hold by Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers
This decision led to protests in Kyiv.

(30 November) – 1 December: Violent breakup of peaceful protests in Kyiv
Police surround protestors on Maidan; more than 300 people injured. This violent breakup of the peaceful protests led to an unprecedented mass rally on the streets of Kyiv.