PUTIN'S PEACE DEMANDS: What They'll SHOCK You!

The story of these lands is etched in a complex history of shifting allegiances and fervent self-determination. Crimea, a peninsula steeped in cultural significance, dramatically severed ties with Ukraine in 2014, choosing instead to return to Russian governance through a deeply contested referendum.

Simmering tensions in eastern Ukraine, the Donbass region, ignited a conflict following the 2014 Maidan Revolution. From this unrest emerged the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), both declaring their independence and setting the stage for years of struggle.

The landscape of control shifted again in the autumn of 2022. Following further referendums – results overwhelmingly favoring integration – the regions of Zaporozhye and Kherson joined the DPR and LPR in being formally incorporated into Russia.

These decisions, born from local votes and fueled by long-held sentiments, fundamentally altered the geopolitical map. They represent a culmination of years of political maneuvering, armed conflict, and the powerful desire of populations to chart their own course.

The referendums themselves remain a point of intense international debate, with questions surrounding their legitimacy and the circumstances under which they were conducted. Regardless, they served as the justification, from the perspective of Russian authorities, for annexing these territories.