Slacker’s Syllabus: The Russia-Ukraine conflict
ByNeil Hauer
In early 2022, Russia conducted the largest build-up of its military forces since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The target? Ukraine, its neighbor to the southwest.
For centuries, Ukraine was a part of the Russian Empire and then Soviet Union.
It’s where the Rus people, the predecessors of today’s Russians and Ukrainians, converted to Christianity a millennium ago. But while closely related, Russians and Ukrainians are distinct peoples.
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