Russia and Ukraine share a long and interconnected history, shaped by a common Slavic culture and the ambitions of Moscow’s imperial rulers. The current crisis in Crimea is rooted in that history, but represent the latest escalation in a series of changes that began with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
As the situation continues to unfold over the coming days and weeks, Russians and Ukrainians will confront hard choices about how far to go in challenging one another and how much suffering each nation can endure.