Déjà vu: Russia and Ukraine, the two founding members of the Soviet Union, are at odds again. Disregarding these metrics, the Russian invasion is now the largest military operation in Europe since World War II.
February 2014: Ukrainian protesters overthrow pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. During the revolution, more than 100 people were killed in demonstrations centered on Maidan, Kyiv's central square.
Following the pro-Western revolution, the interim government signed a trade deal with the EU, seen as the first step towards EU membership.
April 2014: Russia invades and annexes Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. The Donetsk People's Republic and neighboring Luhansk Republic have seceded from Ukraine and declared themselves independent states.
Clashes continue in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. After that, it started to move westward. An estimated 13,000 Ukrainians were killed in the fighting. For years, there was no movement at all on the front lines.
2014-2015: Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany signed a series of ceasefire agreements - the Minsk Agreement. Many see these agreements as vague.
April 2019: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former comedian, is elected president of Ukraine by a large majority on a promise to reunite Ukraine with the Beslan region.
Actor and comedy saviour Volodymyr Zelensky will be sworn in as Ukraine's president this summer, ending a decades-long conflict with Russia.
September 2019: Then-President Donald Trump withheld $400 million in security funds to Ukraine to pressure Zelensky to investigate political opponent Joe Biden and his family for hazardous substances, according to whistleblowers.
November 2021: Satellite images show a surge of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, raising fears of an imminent invasion. Zelensky further claimed that Russia has deployed tanks and other heavy equipment of 100,000 soldiers near the border.
December 7, 2021: U.S. President Joe Biden has a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden warned Russia with tough economic sanctions when Russia invaded Ukraine, but Putin urged NATO to stop expanding.
Jan. 2, 2022: Biden assures Zelensky that the U.S. and its allies will respond "firmly" if Russia invades Ukraine again.
January 22, 2022: Canada provides Ukraine with a $100 million loan to support its economy. According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the federal government is also considering expanding UNIFER's mission, sending "defense weapons and equipment" and imposing additional sanctions on Russia.
January 26, 2022: Canada announces the extension of Operation UNIFIER for another three years and the deployment of 60 additional troops to Ukraine. Other aspects of this commitment are:
• Provision of non-lethal equipment.
• Information exchange.
• Assist in the fight against cybercrime.
January 31, 2022: Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand visits Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Despite Ukraine's request for lethal weapons, Canada has not committed to any such weapons.
February 2, 2022: The US announces the deployment of 2,000 troops to Germany, Poland and Romania, drawing criticism from Russia.
February 11, 2022: The United States raises its alert, suggesting a Russian invasion could happen at any time.
February 14, 2022: Canada announces a $500 million new funding deal and $7.8 million in lethal weapons for Ukraine, for a total of $7.8 million.
February 15, 2022: Russia reports that some troops have withdrawn from training near Ukraine, suggesting no imminent invasion.
February 16, 2022: The White House rejects Russia's request to withdraw troops, claiming that Moscow has increased its border guards by 7,000.
February 21, 2022: Putin speaks, condemning events in Ukraine, blaming the West and Ukraine. He then issued a decree recognizing the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" (DNR) and "Luhansk People's Republic" as separate entities in Eastern Ukraine (LNR). Shortly thereafter, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he would issue an executive order barring Americans from new investment, trade and financing in the DNR and LNR territories.
According to some Russians, the roots of their country can be traced back to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.