A Look at What's Happening in Ukraine
President Obama calls out Russia, supports NATO solution.
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Defending Every Ally - On Sept. 5, President Barack Obama held a special press conference to speak on a cease-fire signed by Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists. Referring to NATO’s recent plans to create a force that could quickly mobilize if any Eastern European alliance were attacked, Obama declared that “we will defend every ally.” “Russia must stop its violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. Take a look at what’s happening in Ukraine and why there is unrest there.— Patrice Peck and Natelege Whaley(Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images/ SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
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Russia Sanctions Intensified - The U.S. and E.U. are getting ready to enforce additional sanctions against Russian individuals and companies close to President Putin. President Obama said the measures were in response to Moscow's failure to uphold an international accord aimed at peacefully resolving the Ukraine crisis, BBC reported. (Photo: Kim Min-Hee - Pool/Getty Images)
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Country Divided Over Its Future Policy - Since November 2013, the country has been divided over the future of its policy. President Yanukovych had reversed his decision to sign a trade agreement with the European Union. Instead, he said he was looking to draft an agreement that could foster a relationship with Russia as well. The deal would have also allowed jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko to leave the country. (Photo: AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
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Russia Has Special Interest in Ukraine - The European Union was disappointed by the decision and analysts do not believe the proposed deal including Russia will happen. Russia urged Ukraine not to sign the E.U. deal and instead wants the nation to join a union with Kazakhstan and Belarus that could be a rival to the European Union. (Photo: AP Photo/ Marko Drobnjakovic)
Photo By Photo: AP Photo/ Marko Drobnjakovic
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Protesters Begin Demanding Yanukovych Resign - Days after the news, hundreds of thousands rallied on Kiev’s Independence Square and demanded that Yanukovych resign and new elections. These protesters want the country to move forward with Europe and not be controlled by Russian interests. (Photo: AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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Russia Continues to Push for Loyalty from Ukraine - In an effort to keep Ukraine from dealing with the European Union, Russia gave Ukraine a discount on Russian gas and said it would also buy billions of dollars of Ukrainian government bonds in December. Details of the agreement were not made public, leading to further angst with many Ukrainians. (Photo: AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
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President Signs Law Banning Anti-Government Protests - On Jan. 17, 2014, Yanukovych signed a law making it illegal to have tents in public areas and to slander government officials. The opposition said the new law was illegal and U.S. and other European countries expressed concern over the bills. Protesters defied the laws anyway leading to the first deadly clashes between police days later.(Photo: AP Photo/Petro Zadorozhnyy)
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Protests Erupt Throughout Western Ukraine - Anti-government movements began expanding to other cities in Ukraine including Ivano-Frankovsk and Chernovtsy, where they seized government offices on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24. (Photo: AP Photo/ Marko Drobnjakovic)
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Prime Minister Mykola Azarov Steps Down - After Ukrainian parliament reversed the anti-protest law on Jan 28, 2014, the Prime Minster Mykola Azarov stepped down in hopes to create “social and political compromise.” Opposition leaders and protesters saw Azarov as a fraud who mismanaged the economy and who was responsible for the police use of force at rallies. (Photo: AP Photo/Petro Zadorozhnyy)
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Amnesty Deal Reached Between Opposition and Government - On Feb. 16, protesters left government buildings that they had occupied for more than two months. In return, charges were dropped against those who were arrested. (Photo: AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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Clashes Break Out After Constitution Debate Is Shut Down - Part of the amnesty deal was that the opposition party would be able to negotiate changes to the constitution that would include less power for the president. On Feb. 18, the speaker refused to allow the debate when it was brought up. When word got out, deadly clashes began to erupt on Independence Square. (Photo: AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
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100 Dead, 500 Injured - On Friday, Feb. 21, Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders signed an agreement in hopes to end three months of political crisis that has led to 101 deaths and 500 injuries in clashes between anti-government protesters and police this week in the capital of Kiev. (Photo: AP Photo/ Marko Drobnjakovic)
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Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko Released - On Saturday, Feb. 22, Yulia Tymoshenko, former opposition prime minister, was released from prison. She was serving a sentence for abuse of power, an accusation many believe was false. She was brought to Kiev's Independence Square and addressed the crowd that had gathered there. “You are heroes!” she cried. (Photo: Andrew Kravchenko/AP Photo, pool)
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Where Is Viktor Yanukovych? - Ousted President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych is wanted for "mass killings" of civilians during protests against his government last week. But he hasn't been seen since Saturday, Feb. 22. Speaker Oleksandr Turchinov will be acting president until elections in May. (Photo: AP Photo / Regional Administration of Kharkiv)
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"There Will Be Costs" - On Feb. 27, Yanukovych surfaces in his first news conference since fleeing to Russia. Meanwhile in Crimea, Russian military officers take control of local airports. Obama warns Russia that "there will be costs" for military intervention in Ukraine.(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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Kerry Heads to Ukraine - Ukraine's parliament appeals for an emergency meeting with the U.N. Security Council. Putin responds to Obama's warning, telling him that Russia would forcefully respond to Ukraine if provoked. Kerry travels to Ukraine on March 3.(Photo: AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, Pool)
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Obama Seeking Sanctions - On March 6, Crimea's parliament announced a referendum set for March 16 to either join Russia or receive more autonomy. In Sochi, only one Ukrainian athlete attends the Paralympic Games' opening ceremony, while in the U.S., Obama seeks sanctions on Russians involved in military action in Ukraine, AP reports.(Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
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The Barrel of a Gun - Obama meets Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. He concludes that Crimea's elections could "lead to different arrangements over time...But that is not something that can be done with the barrel of a gun pointed at you." (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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A Landslide Win - An overwhelming number of Crimea's residents vote to join Russia in a local referendum on March 16. This does not come as much of a surprise given that up to 60 percent of the area's residents are Russian. (Photo: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
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Crimea Joins Russia - On March 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially recognized Crimea as a sovereign independent state. Ukraine begins mapping plans to remove its soldiers from Crimea after pro-Russian forces detain the Ukrainian navy chief. (Photo: Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)
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Obama Delivers on His Warning - Speaking out against Russia's action in Ukraine, Obama delivered a statement on March 20, announcing his plans to "impose additional costs" on Russia, including expanded sanctions on individuals and a bank. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Group of Seven - On March 24, leaders of the Group of Seven nations cast Russia out of a planned G8 meeting, suspending the country until President Putin halts further aggression against Ukraine. President Obama and the leaders of Canada, Japan and Europe's four strongest economies agreed to hold their own summit in the interim.(Photo: Frank van Beek - Pool/Getty Images)
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Presidential Elections - Ukraine's presidential race kicked off on March 29 with many looking to the May elections as key step in leading the country out of its deep political crisis. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and billionaire confectionary tycoon Petro Poroshenko registered as hopefuls. Former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko shook things up by pulling out of the race to back Poroshenko. (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
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NATO Cuts Ties - On April 1, NATO announced plans to suspend "all practical civilian and military co-operation" with Russia. The decision was made due to Moscow's occupation and annexation of the Crimea region. A statement released by the military alliance's foreign ministers urged Russia "to take immediate steps...to return to compliance with international law."(Photo: Jaqueline Martin/AFP/Getty Images)
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Admitting Mistakes - In his first interview since fleeing to Russia, Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych called Russia's annexation of Crimea a "tragedy," admitting that he was "wrong" for allowing Russian troops into the Crimea region. He told the AP and local Russian media on April 2 that if he had been in power, he would have tried to prevent the annexation, BBC reported.(Photo: PhotoXpress/WENN)
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Continued Unrest - Pro-Russian separatists continued spreading unrest in Ukraine after ignoring an ultimatum on April 14 to leave occupied government buildings. Reuters also reported that a group of rebels had attacked a police headquarters after the Ukrainian government failed to deliver on its threats. (Photo: Igor Golovniov/AP Photo)
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Three Dead - Major chaos continued in eastern Ukraine as three pro-Russia activists died after about 300 individuals attacked a National Guard base on April 17. President Putin accused Ukraine of committing a "serious crime," while President Obama alluded to more sanctions against Russia's alleged involvement in the uprisings. (Photo: AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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An Agreement in Geneva - On April 17 in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joined his counterparts from Russia, Ukraine and the European Union, reaching an agreement that grants amnesty to members of armed groups who agree to leave the public buildings they have been occupying. (Photo: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)
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Three Killed At Pro-Russian Checkpoint - Russia blamed Ukraine nationalists for the April 20 fatal shooting of three people stationed at a pro-Russian checkpoint near Sloviansk. Nationalists denied any involvement, while Ukraine officials reported that it may have been a shootout between criminals. (Photo: AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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Damning Proof? - On April 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed to the Sloviansk shootings to accuse the Kiev government of breaking the Geneva agreement, which demanded an immediate end to violence in eastern Ukraine. The following day, the Ukrainian government released photographic "proof" that Russian soldiers are operating with separatists in the same area, despite Putin's earlier denial.(Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Another Building Seized - On Monday, April 28, pro-Russian separatists captured a government building, raising the flag of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk Republic" in the eastern Ukraine town of Kostyantynivka. Reports have also claimed that the group is in control of the town's police station.(Photo: AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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Prisoners of Crisis - Insurgents have taken a number of people hostage, including pro-Ukraine activists, security officers and journalists, to strengthen their control in eastern Ukraine and defy the Kiev government and Western supporters. Seven European military observers accused of being NATO spies are being held prisoner. According to their assurances during a press conference, they are not being mistreated.(Photo: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
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Blair on Shifting Gears - While delivering a speech recently, the former U.K. prime minister, Tony Blair, urged Western leaders to put aside their differences with Russia over Ukraine and "elevate the issue of religious extremism to the top of the agenda," BBC reported. (Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
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A New President - Billionaire and candy tycoon Petro Poroshenko declared victory by a landslide with 54 percent of the votes in the Ukraine presidential elections on May 25. An ongoing bloody assault on pro-Russian rebels by Ukrainian aircraft and paratroopers soon followed. More than 50 separatists were killed, posing a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin.(Photo: AP Photo/Mykola Lazarenko, Pool)
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A Withdrawl - President Putin claims on May 19 that he instructed troops near Ukraine’s border to withdraw. However, Nato and the US said they have seen no signs of any movement. "Unfortunately, we have not seen any evidence at all that Russia has started withdrawal,” Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told BBC. Three days later, 14 soldiers were killed after rebels attacked a checkpoint in the eastern town of Volnovakha. (Photo: Alexey Druzhinin/AFP/Getty Images)
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