Ukraine: A Historical Struggle Against Empire!

Ukraine: A Historical Struggle Against Empire and the Test of European Resolve

ANJAN SARMA

A Nation Forged in Defiance

In the annals of European history, few nations have endured the relentless crucible of foreign domination as Ukraine has.

From the golden age of Kyivan Rus to the horrors of the Holodomor, from the fleeting hope of independence in 1918 to the cataclysmic Russo-Ukrainian War that erupted in 2014 and escalated in 2022, Ukraine’s story is one of unyielding resilience in the face of empire.

The current conflict, entering its third year of open warfare as of May 2025, is not merely a regional struggle but a defining moment for the principles of sovereignty, democracy, and international law.

It is a war that tests the resolve of Europe, the coherence of NATO, and the moral compass of the global order—particularly as shifting American policies under a potential second Trump administration cast uncertainty over the Western alliance.

This work seeks to situate Ukraine’s struggle within a millennium of historical currents, from the medieval splendor of Kyiv to the modern battlefield, where the Ukrainian people defend not only their homeland but the very idea of self-determination. Drawing on archival records, firsthand accounts, and geopolitical analysis, it examines Ukraine’s past, its present defiance, and the precarious future shaped by both courage and global realpolitik.

The Roots of Ukrainian Nationhood

The Legacy of Kyivan Rus

The story of Ukraine begins with Kyivan Rus, a federation of East Slavic tribes that, from the 9th to 13th centuries, established one of medieval Europe’s most sophisticated states.

Under Volodymyr the Great (r. 980–1015), the 988 baptism of Rus into Orthodox Christianity cemented Kyiv as a cultural and spiritual beacon, rivaling Constantinople. The city’s scriptoria produced chronicles, its churches showcased architectural brilliance, and its trade routes linked Scandinavia to Byzantium. Yet, the Mongol invasion of 1240 shattered this unity, sacking Kyiv and plunging its territories into fragmentation.

The Long Shadow of Empire

The post-Mongol era saw Ukraine divided. Western regions fell under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after the 1569 Union of Lublin, where Ukrainian elites navigated a complex cultural landscape, blending Orthodox traditions with Western influences. T

he 1648 Khmelnytsky Uprising, a rebellion against Polish serfdom and religious oppression, birthed the Cossack Hetmanate, a proto-state that briefly embodied Ukrainian autonomy.

However, the 1654 Pereiaslav Agreement with Muscovy, often mischaracterized in Russian historiography as a voluntary union, marked the beginning of eastern Ukraine’s absorption into the Tsarist orbit. By the 19th century, decrees like the 1863 Valuev Circular and the 1876 Ems Ukaz banned Ukrainian-language publications, aiming to erase national consciousness.

The Twentieth Century’s Crucible

The 20th century brought unparalleled tragedy. The Ukrainian War of Independence (1917–1921) saw fleeting moments of statehood crushed by Bolshevik, Polish, and White Russian forces.

The Soviet incorporation of Ukraine unleashed Stalin’s genocidal Holodomor (1932–33), a man-made famine that killed an estimated 3.5–7 million Ukrainians, targeting the peasantry and intelligentsia to break national resistance. World War II turned Ukraine into a charnel house, with 8 million dead as Nazis and Soviets vied for control. Post-war Sovietization intensified Russification, suppressing Ukrainian language and culture while deporting dissidents to the Gulag.

The 1954 transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR by Nikita Khrushchev, intended as an administrative gesture, planted seeds of future conflict. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine’s independence referendum saw 91.5% vote for sovereignty—a resounding mandate, yet one marred by internal divisions and external skepticism.

The Post-Soviet Struggle for Identity

Independence and Its Discontents

Ukraine’s independence in 1991 was a triumph of national will, but the legacy of Soviet rule—corrupt elites, a Russified east, and economic dependence on Moscow—hampered state-building. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which Ukraine relinquished the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal for security guarantees from Russia, the U.S., and the U.K., proved a bitter illusion when Russia violated it in 2014.

The early 21st century saw Ukraine caught in a geopolitical tug-of-war. The 2004 Orange Revolution, sparked by electoral fraud, marked a democratic awakening, rejecting Kremlin-backed authoritarianism. Yet, corruption and factionalism persisted, enabling the 2010 election of Viktor Yanukovych, a Moscow-aligned figure whose rule deepened divisions.

The Maidan and Its Aftermath

The 2013 Euromaidan protests, triggered by Yanukovych’s rejection of an EU association agreement, were a defining moment. Hundreds of thousands braved subzero temperatures and sniper fire, demanding a European future. The February 2014 massacre of over 100 protesters forced Yanukovych’s flight to Russia, but the Kremlin retaliated swiftly. Russian forces annexed Crimea in a covert operation, followed by a sham referendum condemned globally. In the Donbas, Russian-backed separatists ignited a conflict that killed 14,000 by 2022, setting the stage for a larger war.

Putin’s Imperial Vision

Vladimir Putin’s 2021 essay, On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians, laid bare his denial of Ukrainian nationhood, framing it as a wayward province of a greater Russian world. This ideology, rooted in Tsarist and Soviet myths, justified the 2014 and 2022 invasions as “reunification” efforts, ignoring Ukraine’s distinct history and democratic aspirations.

The 2022 Invasion—A War of Survival

The Failed Blitzkrieg

On February 24, 2022, Russian missiles rained on Ukrainian cities, and armored columns surged from multiple fronts. Putin anticipated a swift collapse, banking on Ukraine’s perceived fragility and pro-Russian sentiment in the east. Instead, he encountered a nation transformed by post-Maidan reforms and a unified resolve.

The Battle of Hostomel Airport (February 24–25, 2022) exposed Russian hubris. Elite VDV paratroopers, expecting a quick seizure, were decimated by Ukrainian defenders, disrupting plans for a decapitation strike on Kyiv. The infamous 40-mile Russian convoy north of the capital stalled, plagued by logistical failures and Ukrainian ambushes using Javelin missiles.

Turning Points

Kyiv Counteroffensive (March–April 2022): Ukrainian territorial defense units, bolstered by civilian volunteers, repelled Russian forces, forcing a humiliating retreat. The liberation of Bucha revealed mass graves and atrocities, galvanizing global outrage.

Kharkiv Offensive (September 2022): Ukraine’s lightning campaign exploited Russian overextension, reclaiming 8,000 square kilometers in weeks. The operation showcased Ukraine’s growing tactical sophistication.

Mariupol and Azovstal (February–May 2022): The city’s siege became a symbol of defiance, with defenders holding out in the Azovstal steel plant against relentless bombardment. Its fall exposed Russian war crimes, including mass executions and deportations.

Kherson Liberation (November 2022): Ukraine’s recapture of the only regional capital seized by Russia marked a strategic victory, though trench warfare in Donbas signaled a grinding stalemate.

By 2025, the war’s toll is staggering: over 500,000 combined casualties, millions displaced, and entire cities—Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mariupol—reduced to rubble. Ukraine’s resilience, fueled by Western arms, contrasts with Russia’s reliance on conscripts and foreign munitions from Iran and North Korea.

The Human Cost and Cultural Defiance

A Demographic Tragedy

The war has reshaped Ukraine’s human landscape. Of a pre-war population of 41 million, 6.5 million are refugees, and 18% of territory remains occupied. Civilian deaths exceed 30,000, with atrocities in Bucha, Izium, and Mariupol documented by the UN as war crimes. The conscription of women in 2023 reflects the strain on Ukraine’s manpower, while Russia’s abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children for “re-education” echoes colonial tactics of erasure.

Resilience Through Culture

Ukraine’s civil society has responded with extraordinary fortitude. The IT Army of Ukraine has waged cyberwarfare, disrupting Russian infrastructure. Artists, from street muralists in Kyiv to musicians like Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, preserve national identity amid destruction. In Lviv, archivists digitize cultural heritage to protect it from bombardment, while volunteers deliver aid to frontline towns, embodying a collective spirit of defiance.

Europe’s Reckoning and NATO’s Test

A Revitalized Alliance

Russia’s invasion has forced Europe to confront its vulnerabilities. NATO, once derided as obsolete, has expanded with Finland and Sweden’s accession, while forward deployments bolster the eastern flank from Estonia to Bulgaria. Yet, the alliance faces critical challenges:

Munitions Shortages: Europe’s artillery shell reserves, depleted to 30-day war levels, expose decades of defense underinvestment.

Energy Shifts: Germany’s pivot from Russian gas to renewables, alongside Poland’s 4% GDP defense spending, reflects a broader European awakening.

Article 5 Ambiguities: Scenarios like Belarusian provocations or Russian hybrid warfare in Kaliningrad test NATO’s cohesion.

The Trump Factor

The prospect of Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency in 2025 introduces profound uncertainty. His April 2024 call for immediate Ukraine-Russia negotiations, coupled with reported private suggestions to cede territory (per anonymous NSC leaks), signals a transactional approach.

Trump’s 2018 threat to withdraw NATO protection from allies not meeting 2% GDP defense spending targets—reiterated in 2024—has spurred Europe to act. Germany’s €100 billion defense fund and Poland’s militarization reflect fears of American retrenchment. If Trump slashes aid or pushes premature talks, Ukraine risks becoming a sacrificial pawn in a broader U.S. pivot toward isolationism.

Global Ripples

The war has exposed global fault lines. Western sanctions have strained Russia’s economy, but Moscow’s alliances with China, Iran, and North Korea sustain its war machine. Ukraine’s disrupted grain exports have triggered food crises in Africa and the Middle East, while Europe grapples with supply chain vulnerabilities. Within the EU, Hungary and Slovakia’s wavering support highlights internal divisions, complicating unified action.

Ukraine’s Path Forward

Scenarios for the Future

As the war grinds on, three outcomes loom:

Frozen Conflict (2025–2030): A stalemate leaving Donbas and Crimea under Russian control, with Ukraine in perpetual militarization—a scenario favored by some Western realists but devastating to Ukrainian aspirations.

Ukrainian Victory: Full territorial restoration, contingent on sustained Western aid (e.g., F-16s, ATACMS). Russia’s fortified lines and munitions imports dim this prospect.

Western Abandonment: A Trump-led reduction in U.S. aid could force Ukraine into unfavorable negotiations, echoing historical betrayals like the 1975 fall of Saigon.

Reconstruction and Integration

Rebuilding Ukraine’s shattered infrastructure, estimated at $500 billion, demands a Marshall Plan-style effort. EU and NATO membership could anchor Ukraine in the West, but political hurdles—Hungary’s vetoes, NATO’s reluctance to admit a belligerent state—persist. Ukraine’s democratic reforms, including anti-corruption measures, will be critical to securing long-term support.

A Defining Struggle

Ukraine’s war is a battle for the soul of Europe and the principles of international order. A Russian victory would embolden autocrats, from Beijing to Tehran, while a Ukrainian triumph could redefine global security, proving that determined resistance can defy imperial ambition. The West, led by NATO, faces a moment of truth: will it uphold its commitments, or will internal divisions and American unpredictability fracture its resolve?

Historians may one day compare Ukraine’s struggle to Poland’s defiance under partition or Ireland’s fight for independence—nations that, against overwhelming odds, carved out their sovereignty. For Ukraine, the question remains as it did in 1654, 1918, and 1991: Can a people, forged in the fire of history, secure their place among the free?

The answer lies not only in Ukraine’s courage but in the world’s willingness to stand with it.

31-05-2025

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