The  Russo-Ukrainian War  is now in a stalemate: Started in February of 2014. Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014. In February of 2022, Russian launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some history. Crimea was part of the Crimean Khanate from 1441 until it was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1783. In the Russian Revolution of 1917, Ukraine was absorbed by the Russian Empire  as a constituent republic Ukraine is the second-largest ( 1.7 times bigger than Germany ) European country after Russia. In 1922 the Soviet Union was formed with various  union republics , and until its dissolution in 1991, varied from 4 to 16 countries, always including Ukraine. Map of the Union Republics from 1956 to 1991, as numbered by the Soviet Constitution: 1.   Russia , 2.   Ukraine , 3.   Belarus , 4.   Uzbekistan , 5.   Kazakhstan , 6.   Georgia , 7.   Azerbaijan , 8.   Lithuania , 9.   Moldavia , 10.   Latvia , 11.   Kyrgyzstan ...