Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна, romanized: Ukraina, pronounced [ʊkrɐˈjinɐ] (listen)) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast.[a][11] It also borders Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and Romania and Moldova[b] to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast.[c] Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the east and south.

During the Middle Ages, Ukraine was the site of early Slavic expansion and the area later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. The state eventually disintegrated into rival regional powers and was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. The area was then contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers for the next 600 years, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century, but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and ultimately absorbed by the

Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, and declared itself neutral.[12] A new constitution was adopted in 1996. A series of mass demonstrations, known as the Euromaidan, led to the establishment of a new government in 2014 after a revolution. Russia then unilaterally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula; and pro-Russian unrest culminated in a war in the Donbas between Russian-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine. Since the outbreak of war with Russia, Ukraine has continued to seek closer ties with the

Ukraine is a unitary state with a semi-presidential system. A developing country, it is the poorest country in Europe by nominal GDP per capita[16] and corruption remains a significant issue.[17][18] However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world.[19][20] It is a founding member of the

Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна, romanized: Ukraina, pronounced [ʊkrɐˈjinɐ] (listen)) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast.[a][11] It also borders Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and Romania and Moldova[b] to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast.[c] Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the east and south.

During the Middle Ages, Ukraine was the site of early Slavic expansion and the area later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. The state eventually disintegrated into rival regional powers and was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. The area was then contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers for the next 600 years, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century, but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and ultimately absorbed by the

Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, and declared itself neutral.[12] A new constitution was adopted in 1996. A series of mass demonstrations, known as the Euromaidan, led to the establishment of a new government in 2014 after a revolution. Russia then unilaterally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula; and pro-Russian unrest culminated in a war in the Donbas between Russian-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine. Since the outbreak of war with Russia, Ukraine has continued to seek closer ties with the

Ukraine is a unitary state with a semi-presidential system. A developing country, it is the poorest country in Europe by nominal GDP per capita[16] and corruption remains a significant issue.[17][18] However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world.[19][20] It is a founding member of the