Ukraine in Crisis

Ukraine's most prolonged and deadly crisis since its post-Soviet independence began as a protest against the government dropping plans to forge closer trade ties with the European Union, and has since spurred escalating tensions between Russia and Western powers. The crisis stems from more than twenty years of weak governance, a lopsided economy dominated by oligarchs, heavy reliance on Russia, and sharp differences between Ukraine's linguistically, religiously, and ethnically distinct eastern and western regions.

After the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovich in February 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and the port city of Sevastopol, and deployed tens of thousands of forces near the border of eastern Ukraine, where conflict erupted between pro-Russian separatists and the new government in Kiev. Russia's moves, including reported military support for separatist forces, mark a serious challenge to established principles of world order such as sovereignty and nonintervention.

http://www.cfr.org/ukraine/ukraine-crisis/p32540

Structure of the Lead:

Who-Ukraine government

When-2014,February,23

What-Ukraine and Russia fight for Crimea

Why-Against the Ukraine rally

Where-Crimea

How-Not given

Keywords:

prolong 延長

spur 鞭策

linguistically 語言方面

annexed  併吞

Crimean peninsula 克里米亞半島

erupted 爆發