Ukraine became interdependent after the collapse of the soviet union in 1991. In 2005, Putin said that if Ukraine wanted to join NATO, "we will respect their choice, because it is their sovereign right to decide their own defence policy, and this will not worsen relations between our countries
In 2013, Ukraine's parliament overwhelmingly approved finalising an association agreement with the European Union, which had been negotiated for several years. Russia did not raise any concerns about the agreement until mid-2013, when it became clear that Ukraine would no longer be able to maintain the same level of relations with Russia.
Was from there Putin started to become aggressive, Ukraine was independent and should not have had to defend it's self form Putin's attacks since then.
But some how you defend Putin, words here that would have me in the sin bin
