commonslibrary.parliament.uk
Research Briefing
By Nigel Walker
24 February 2023
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline
(2014
- present)
Summary
1
November 2013 – April 2014: Annexation of Crimea
2
May 2015 – October 2021
3
Ukraine crisis: November 2021 – 23 February 2022
4
Current conflict: 24 February 2022 – 31 May 2022
5
Current conflict: June-August 2022
6
Current conflict: September-November 2022
7
Current conflict: December 2022 - present
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
2
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Number CBP 9476
OSCE SMM monitoring of heavy weaponry, Ukraine 16705750566
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine – Wikimedia Commons page.
CC BY 2.0) / image
bility whatsoever for any errors, omissions or
’ for further information about
This information is provided subject to the
he Open Parliament Licence.
eflect
. Please note that authors are not always able to
s opinions
ry.parliament.uk.
hcenquiries@parliament.uk.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
3
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Contents
Summary 4
1 November 2013 – April 2014: Annexation of Crimea 6
2 May 2015 – October 2021 15
3 Ukraine crisis: November 2021 – 23 February 2022 27
4 Current conflict: 24 February 2022 – 31 May 2022 39
5 Current conflict: June-August 2022 66
6 Current conflict: September-November 2022 73
7 Current conflict: December 2022 - present 84
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
4
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Summary
The 2014 Ukraine crisis
In November 2013 the Ukrainian government of pro-Russian President Viktor
Yanukovych decided not to sign a planned Association Agreement with the
European Union and demonstrations ensued in the capital Kyiv. The
‘Euromaidan’ demonstrations turned violent in early 2014 and, in February
that year, some European foreign ministers mediated a compromise,
involving a unity government and early elections.
After the collapse of a power-sharing agreement on 22 February 2014,
President Yanukovych disappeared from Ukraine and a new government was
installed by the Ukrainian parliament.
Later that month unidentified military figures, widely thought in the West to
be Russian personnel (this was later confirmed), surrounded the airports in
Crimea, a majority-Russian peninsula in Ukraine and the Crimean
autonomous assembly was taken over by pro-Russian forces. In March 2014 a
declaration of independence was issued by the assembly and a subsequent
referendum on union with Russia was held.
Since then, Russia has maintained its control over Crimea and supported pro-
Russian separatist forces who also took control of parts of the Donetsk and
Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine (the Donbas) in 2014.
Fighting between Russian-supported separatists and Ukrainian government
forces has continued in the Donbas for the last eight years despite the
negotiation of the Minsk Agreements in 2014/2015 which called for a ceasefire,
the withdrawal of all foreign armed groups and constitutional reform
recognising the special status of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Current conflict
On 24 February 2022 Russia launched military action in Ukraine, with forces
crossing into the country from Belarus in the north, Russia in the east and
Crimea in the south.
President Putin said it was a “special military operation” intended to protect
the people of the Donbas and to “demilitarise and denazify Ukraine”. He
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
5
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
denied that Russia planned to occupy Ukrainian territory or to “impose
anything on anyone by force”.
For the last year Russian forces have, however, been conducting a full-scale
assault on the country. In early October 2022 Russia signed annexation
treaties recognising Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as part of
the Russian Federation, even though those regions are not totally under
Russian control.
Ukraine, with Western military assistance, has been conducting a major
counteroffensive and has made territorial gains.
Both sides are now preparing for new spring offensives. Ukraine has vowed to
retake all its sovereign territory, including Crimea which was annexed by
Russia in 2014. The Kremlin has said that the annexed regions will be with
Russia forever.
Protracted conflict therefore appears the most likely outcome unless both
sides can be persuaded to return to the negotiating table.
Purpose of this paper
This paper provides a timeline of the major events that happened in the
conflict in Ukraine from November 2013 to the present.
This paper will be regularly updated as the conflict continues.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
6
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
1 November 2013 – April 2014: Annexation
of Crimea
Key events
21 November 2013: Ukraine’s President Yanukovych
suspends trade and association talks with the EU, opting to
revive economic ties with Russia.
Protests begin in Kyiv’s Independence Square (Maidan).
6 December 2013: President Yanukovych meets Russian
President Putin for talks, to lay the ground for a new
“strategic partnership” between the two countries.
December 2013 – February 2014: Anti-government protests
continue, with some turning violent.
21 February 2014: President Yanukovych and opposition
leaders sign an EU-mediated peace pact that includes plans
for presidential elections before the end of the year.
22 February 2014: Ukraine’s parliament votes to impeach
President Yanukovych and he flees the country.
27 February 2014: Dozens of pro-Russia gunmen seize
government buildings in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea
and raise the Russian flag. The move comes a day after
President Putin put Russia’s military on high alert.
1 March 2014: Russia’s parliament approves President
Putin’s request for Russian forces to be used in Ukraine.
21 March 2014: President Putin signs a law formalising
Russia's takeover of Crimea from Ukraine.
21 November 2013 Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych orders
the suspension of trade and association talks
with the European Union, opting to revive
economic ties with Russia.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
7
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Several hundred Ukrainians gather in Kyiv’s
Independence Square (Maidan) to protest.
22 November 2013 Jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia
Tymoshenko urges Ukrainians to protest
against the government’s decision not to sign
a trade deal with the EU.
24 November 2013 An estimated 100,000 people rally in Kyiv
against the government. Meanwhile, a pro-
government rally attracts 10,000 people.
25 November 2013 Ukrainian police fire tear gas at
demonstrators, saying they had been pelted
with objects.
Yulia Tymoshenko, in prison, begins a hunger
strike in solidarity with the protestors.
29 November 2013 At an EU summit in the Lithuanian capital,
Vilnius, President Yanukovych refuses to sign
the association agreement.
30 November 2013 Thousands of Ukrainians stage fresh protests
in Kyiv’s Independence Square. 2,000 riot
police are deployed around the square, but
only small scuffles are reported.
1 December 2013
An estimated 300,000 people protest in Kyiv
and besiege the president’s office. Dozens are
injured as police respond with tear gas,
batons and flash grenades.
6 December 2013 President Yanukovych meets Russian
President Vladimir Putin for talks in Sochi, to
lay the ground for a new “strategic
partnership” between the two countries.
8 December 2013
Hundreds of thousands of people rally in Kyiv,
in the largest protest yet. A statue of Lenin is
toppled in the city centre.
13 December 2013 President Yanukovych holds roundtable
discussions with opposition leaders, but no
breakthrough in the crisis is reached.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
8
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
15 December 2013 The EU freezes attempts to revive a political
and trade pact with Ukraine. 200,000 people
rally in Kyiv.
17 December 2013 Presidents Putin and Yanukovych hold talks in
Moscow. The Russian president agrees to buy
$15 billion of Ukrainian debt to allow the
former Soviet republic to return to economic
growth.
24 December 2013 Ukraine receives the first $3 billion tranche of
Russia’s bailout.
12 January 2014 Thousands of Ukrainians gather in Kyiv’s main
square to demand closer relations with the
EU, reviving the movement after a Christmas
and New Year lull.
17 January 2014 President Yanukovych signs into force a set of
tough new laws that ban virtually all forms of
anti-government protests, despite criticism
from Western governments.
19 January 2014 Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians gather
in central Kyiv, defying the ban on protests.
The protest later turns violent, with hundreds
of activists storming a police cordon,
attacking riot police with sticks and chains in
an attempt to push their way towards the
Ukrainian parliament. The police respond with
stun grenades, leaving a dozen protesters
injured.
22 January 2014 Two protesters are killed in clashes with
police; the first fatalities since anti-
government protests began in November
2013.
A three-hour meeting between President
Yanukovych and the three main political
opposition leaders ends without a deal.
26 January 2014 President Yanukovych offers key government
posts to opposition leaders and suggests
making a number of legislative and
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
9
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
constitutional amendments during a special
emergency session of parliament.
The opposition reacts cautiously, rejecting
these initial proposals but indicating they are
open to further negotiations, including early
elections.
27 January 2014 Ukraine’s justice minister threatens to declare
a state of emergency after four government
buildings, including the city hall in central
Kyiv, are taken by protesters.
28 January 2014
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Mykola Azarov
resigns.
The Ukrainian parliament votes to annul the
anti-protest legislation.
30 January 2014 President Yanukovych announces that he will
take sick leave due to an acute respiratory
illness and high fever.
In a written statement, the UK’s Minister for
Europe urges the government and opposition
in Ukraine to find a compromise acceptable to
all sides.
31 January 2014 Still on sick leave, President Yanukovych signs
into law a conditional amnesty for those
detained in the unrest.
2 February 2014 President Yanukovych returns to work after
four days’ sick leave.
An estimated 30,000 protesters gather in
Kyiv, renewing calls for the president to step
down.
7 February 2014 The United States suggests Russia is
responsible for leaking a recording of US
diplomats discussing how to shape a new
government in Kyiv. Russia accuses the United
States of trying to foment a coup in Ukraine.
14 February 2014 Russia accuses the European Union of seeking
to create a “sphere of influence” on its
borders by pressing Ukraine to choose closer
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
10
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
ties with the bloc at the expense of relations
with Moscow.
All 234 protesters arrested since December
2021 are released, although tensions remain.
18 February 2014 At least 22 people are killed and more than
200 seriously injured as protesters clash with
riot police in the worst violence since
demonstrations began.
19 February 2014 The West threatens sanctions after the death
toll rises to 26.
President Yanukovych denounces the
bloodshed as an attempted coup.
20 February 2014
Dozens are killed in fresh clashes in Kyiv, the
city’s worst day of violence for 70 years.
The foreign ministers of Germany, France and
Poland meet with President Yanukovych,
hoping to agree a roadmap with the
Ukrainian government and opposition.
21 February 2014
President Yanukovych and opposition leaders
sign an EU-mediated peace pact that includes
plans for presidential elections before the end
of the year.
22 February 2014 Ukraine’s parliament votes to impeach
President Yanukovych, who flees his Kyiv
office, denouncing what he says is a coup.
Yulia Tymoshenko is released from custody
and urges the opposition to continue their
protests.
23 February 2014 Russia recalls its ambassador to Ukraine over
what it describes as the deteriorating
situation in the country.
Ukraine's newly appointed interim president,
Olexander Turchynov, says the country will
focus on closer integration with the EU.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
11
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
24 February 2014 Ukraine issues an arrest warrant for President
Yanukovych, on charges of “mass murder” of
protesters.
Russia declares the situation in Ukraine a
“real threat” to its interests. Russian Prime
Minister Dmitry Medvedev accuses Ukraine’s
interim leaders of taking power through
“armed mutiny”.
26 February 2014 Ukraine’s acting president announces his
cabinet, which includes a number of key
figures in the protest movement.
Presidential elections are set for 25 May.
Russia puts it military on high alert and
President Putin orders major military
exercises, as concerns grow about unrest in
Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.
27 February 2014 Dozens of pro-Russia gunmen seize
government buildings in Crimea and raise the
Russian flag.
Ukraine’s interim government summons
Russia’s envoy and warns its neighbour
against “military aggression”. Acting
president Oleksandr Turchynov warns Russian
forces not to venture out from their naval
base in Crimea.
28 February 2014 Armed men take control of two airports in
Crimea as Russia is accused of orchestrating
a “military invasion and occupation”.
Ousted President Viktor Yanukovych
resurfaces in the southern Russian city of
Rostov-on-Don, denouncing the “bandit
coup” in Kyiv, and reiterates that he remains
the legitimate president of Ukraine. He calls
on Russia to act decisively, saying he is
“surprised” by President Putin's restraint.
1 March 2014 Russia’s parliament approves President
Putin’s request for Russian forces to be used
in Ukraine. The Kremlin says the request was
submitted “in connection with the
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
12
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
extraordinary situation in Ukraine and the
threat to the lives of Russian citizens”.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague speaks
to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to
urge steps to calm the situation and
summons the Russian Ambassador to register
the UK Government’s deep concerns.
3 March 2014 Western leaders issue a joint statement
condemning Russia’s “clear violation of the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Ukraine” and committing to supporting
Ukraine in its efforts to restore unity, stability
and political and economic health.
4 March 2014 President Putin announces an end to military
exercises in western Russia and orders the
troops back to base.
He rules out a Russian war with Ukraine, but
reserves the right to use force “as a last
resort”.
5 March 2014 Russia rebuffs calls to withdraw troops from
Crimea, saying “self-defence” forces are not
under its command.
6 March 2014 EU leaders hold an emergency summit to
address the Ukraine crisis.
Crimea’s pro-Russia regional government
votes to join Russia and announces it will hold
a referendum on 16 March to determine
whether the region should officially join
Russia.
8 March 2014 Warning shots are fired as a team of
international military observers is turned
away from entering Crimea.
The Organisation for Security and Co-
operation in Europe (OSCE) reports no
injuries.
9 March 2014 The UK Prime Minister David Cameron calls
President Putin to discuss the situation in
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
13
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Ukraine and urges him to de-escalate the
situation.
12 March 2014 US President Barack Obama welcomes
Ukraine's interim prime minister to the White
House and pledges to “stand with Ukraine” in
its dispute with Russia.
G7 leaders issue a statement calling on
Russia to cease all efforts to change the
status of Crimea.
16 March 2014 Crimea’s secession referendum on joining
Russia is backed by over 95% of voters,
officials say.
17 March 2014
The EU and US impose travel bans and asset
freezes on several officials from Russia and
Ukraine over the Crimea referendum.
The UK Government refuses to recognise the
Crimea referendum or its outcome as being
legal or legitimate, and “condemns in the
strongest terms Russia’s flagrant disregard of
Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity”.
18 March 2014 President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of
Crimea sign a bill to absorb the peninsula into
Russia.
21 March 2014 President Putin signs the law formalising
Russia's takeover of Crimea from Ukraine,
despite fresh sanctions from the EU and the
US.
24 March 2014 Russia is expelled from the Group of Eight
(G8).
27 March 2014 The UN General Assembly votes 100–11
against recognising the Crimea referendum
result, with 58 countries abstaining.
Following the vote, UK Foreign Secretary
William Hague says: “The result reinforces the
fundamental principles upon which the UN
was founded: principles of territorial integrity
and of the non-use of force. President Putin
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
14
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
should take notice of this clear and
resounding message and work together with
all parties to de-escalate the situation.”
28 March 2014 US President Barack Obama urges Russia to
“move back its troops” on Ukraine's border
and lower tensions.
Russia is believed to have amassed a force of
several thousand troops close to Ukraine's
eastern border.
7 April 2014 Pro-Russian protesters seize regional
government buildings in the Ukrainian cities
of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv, calling for a
referendum on independence by 11 May.
15 April 2014 Ukraine's acting president, Olexander
Turchynov, announces the start of an “anti-
terrorist operation” against pro-Russian
separatists. It quickly stalls.
17 April 2014 At talks in Geneva, Russia, Ukraine, the US
and the EU say they have agreed steps to “de-
escalate” the crisis in eastern Ukraine.
Three people are killed when Ukrainian
security forces fend off a raid on a base in
Mariupol, the first violent deaths in the east.
18 April 2014 UK Foreign Secretary William Hague
welcomes yesterday's agreement on the next
steps in Ukraine and urges quick progress be
made.
He also announces a further £1 million to
support the OSCE monitoring mission.
22 April 2014 Ukraine’s acting president calls for the
resumption of military operations against
pro-Russian separatists in the east of the
country, claiming two of his party's
supporters had been “tortured to death”, in a
further blow to an unravelling international
peace plan.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
15
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
2 May 2015 – October 2021
Key events
12 May 2014: Pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine’s
easternmost areas, Donetsk and Luhansk, announce
landslide victories in referendums on “self-rule”. Ukraine
and Western countries condemn the vote.
25 May 2014: Petro Poroshenko is elected president of
Ukraine.
14 June 2014: Pro-Russia separatists shoot down a military
transport plane in eastern Ukraine, killing all 49 Ukrainian
service personnel on board.
27 June 2014: The EU signs a landmark partnership
agreement with Ukraine.
17 July 2014: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is shot down over
eastern Ukraine with the loss of 298 lives. A 15-month
investigation by the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) later finds the
plane was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile.
5 September 2014: Ukraine’s government and pro-Russia
rebels sign a truce in Minsk (referred to as the first Minsk
Agreement) to end almost five months of fighting. The
ceasefire collapses within days.
24 January 2015: A series of rocket attacks leave 30 people
dead and many more injured in the city of Mariupol in
eastern Ukraine.
12 February 2015: The second Minsk Agreement is signed.
9 July 2016: NATO and Ukraine sign a Comprehensive
Assistance Package.
8 June 2017: The Ukrainian Parliament votes to restore NATO
membership as the country's strategic foreign policy
objective.
1 September 2017: Ukraine's association agreement with the
European Union enters into force.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
16
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
15 May 2018:
President Putin opens a 12-mile bridge between
the Russian mainland and Crimea, tightening Russia’s hold
over the annexed peninsula.
20 November 2018: The UK Government joins calls for
Russia to stop delaying or preventing access for ships to the
Sea of Azov. Restrictions on freedom of passage have been
accompanied by an increase in Russia’s military presence in
the sea.
21 February 2019: An amendment to Ukraine’s constitution,
setting NATO membership as a strategic foreign and security
policy, enters into force.
21 April 2019: Volodymyr Zelenskyy is elected president of
Ukraine in a landslide victory.
7 September 2019: Russia and Ukraine exchange dozens of
prisoners captured in the wake of Moscow's annexation of
Crimea and intervention in the Donbas. It is the first prisoner
exchange since 2014.
12 June 2020: Ukraine is granted NATO Enhanced
Opportunity Partner status.
14 September 2020: President Zelenskyy approves Ukraine’s
new National Security Strategy, with the aim of joining
NATO.
6 April 2021: Russia announces the start of mass military
drills, raising tensions with Ukraine amid Western concern
over the risk of renewed fighting.
14 April 2021: Ukraine’s defence minister says 110,000
Russian troops are massing on the border in 56 battalion-
sized tactical groups.
2 May 2014 More than 30 people are killed in violent
clashes in the Black Sea city of Odessa, as
pro-Ukrainian activists storm a building
occupied by protesters in favour of closer ties
with Russia.
3 May 2014 In response to the violence in Odessa, UK
Foreign Secretary William Hague calls on all
parties to work to restore calm and law and
order across Ukraine.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
17
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
11 May 2014 “Self-rule” independence referendums are
held in Ukraine’s easternmost areas, Donetsk
and Luhansk. Ukraine calls the vote a
“criminal farce” and Western countries also
condemn the vote.
12 May 2014 Pro-Russia separatists in Donetsk and
Luhansk announce landslide victories in the
independence referendums.
The head of the de facto electoral commission
says 89% of voters in Donetsk and 96% in
Luhansk voted for self-rule.
25 May 2014 Pro-European businessman Petro Poroshenko
is elected president of Ukraine.
14 June 2014 Pro-Russia separatists shoot down a military
transport plane in eastern Ukraine, killing all
49 Ukrainian service personnel on board.
In a statement, Ukraine's defence ministry
says “terrorists” have “cynically and
treacherously” fired on the aircraft.
24 June 2014 President Putin asks the upper house of the
Russian parliament to revoke its March ruling
that permits Russia to use troops on
Ukrainian territory.
25 June 2014 The Russian parliament’s upper house agrees
President Putin’s request, voting 153-1 in
favour of revoking authorisation for military
intervention in Ukraine.
27 June 2014
The EU signs a landmark partnership
agreement with Ukraine.
President Poroshenko hails the signing as
Ukraine's most historic day since
independence in 1991, describing it as a
“symbol of faith and unbreakable will”.
He also says he sees the signing as the start
of preparations for Ukraine joining the EU.
5 July 2014 Separatist rebels abandon the cities of
Sloviansk and Kramatorsk and some smaller
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
18
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
towns, in the north of Donetsk region, to
concentrate on the battle for Donetsk city.
17 July 2014 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from
Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, is shot down
over eastern Ukraine with the loss of 298 lives.
A 15-month investigation by the Dutch Safety
Board (DSB) later finds the plane was hit by a
Russian-made Buk missile.
21 July 2014 In a statement to the House of Commons, UK
Prime Minister David Cameron says President
Putin must use his influence to end the
conflict in Ukraine by halting supplies and
training for the separatists.
The Prime Minister also calls for “proper long-
term relationships between Ukraine and
Russia; between Ukraine and the European
Union; and, above all, between Russia and
the European Union, NATO and the wider
West.”
30 July 2014 The G7 leaders issue a joint statement on the
ongoing situation in Ukraine, condemning
Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.
22 August 2014 A Russian convoy of 260 lorries delivers
humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine, raising
suspicion from some in the international
community. French Foreign Minister Laurent
Fabius warns the convoy “could be a cover for
the Russians to install themselves near
Luhansk and Donetsk and present us with a
fait accompli”.
26 August 2014
Ukraine releases videos of captured Russian
troops. Russia claims the troops crossed the
border “by accident”, but Ukrainian military
spokesman Andriy Lysenko says: “This wasn’t
a mistake, but a special mission they were
carrying out.”
1 September 2014
Ukraine says 700 of its men have been taken
prisoner as pro-Russia rebels advance in the
east.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
19
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
5 September 2014 Ukraine’s government and pro-Russia rebels
in the east sign a truce in Minsk (referred to
as the first Minsk Agreement) to end almost
five months of fighting.
The ceasefire deal collapses within days of
signing.
24 September 2014 NATO reports a “significant” withdrawal of
Russian troops from eastern Ukraine,
although some forces still remain.
12 October 2014 President Vladimir Putin orders thousands of
Russian troops stationed near the Ukrainian
border to return to their bases. Russian media
reports 17,600 soldiers on training exercises
in the Rostov region would be pulled back.
17 October 2014
The UK Government announces a package o
f
non-lethal equipment to be gifted to Ukraine,
in response to a direct request from the
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
21 October 2014 New York-based Human Rights Watch
suggests both government forces and pro-
Russia separatists have used cluster
munitions in eastern Ukraine.
Most countries banned cluster munitions
under a convention that became international
law in 2010, but Ukraine did not sign up to it.
26 October 2014 Pro-Western parties win parliamentary
elections in Ukraine.
31 October 2014 In a deal brokered by the EU, Russia agrees to
resume gas supplies to Ukraine over the
winter. Russia had cut off Ukraine’s gas in
June as the conflict in eastern Ukraine
escalated.
2 November 2014 Pro-Russia separatists hold elections in the
two self-proclaimed people's republics in the
Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern
Ukraine. The elections are denounced as
“illegitimate” by the West.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
20
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
3 November 2014 Following the vote, President Poroshenko
holds a meeting with his security chiefs and
accuses the rebels of jeopardising “the entire
peace process”.
11 November 2014 Dutch efforts to salvage wreckage from the
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash site stall as no
deal is reached with local rebel groups.
12 November 2014 NATO commander Gen. Philip Breedlove
warns Russian military equipment and
Russian combat troops have been seen
entering Ukraine over several days, saying:
"Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air
defence systems and Russian combat troops"
had been sighted.
24 January 2015 A series of rocket attacks leave 30 people
dead and many more injured in the city of
Mariupol in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine blames pro-Russia rebels, but the
separatists say Ukrainian forces are behind
the attacks.
26 January 2015 In an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-
Ukraine Commission, NATO strongly
condemns the escalation of violence in
eastern Ukraine and urges all parties to
continue efforts to achieve a peaceful
solution, in full conformity with the Minsk
Agreement.
10 February 2015 UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond makes
a statement in the House of Commons on the
situation in Ukraine. He welcomes efforts to
achieve a peaceful resolution of the situation
in the east of the country, outlines the
package of economic sanctions which the EU
and the US is imposing on Russia, and
provides further detail on other measures
being taken by the West.
12 February 2015 Following lengthy peace negotiations
(referred to as the Normandy Format)
between Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, French
President Francois Hollande and German
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
21
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Chancellor Angela Merkel, a new ceasefire
deal for eastern Ukraine is signed in the
Belarusian capital Minsk: the second Minsk
Agreement.
15 February 2015
UK Secretary of Defence Michael Fallon
responds to an urgent question on the
deployment of UK personnel to train Ukrainian
forces.
As part of wider UK Government efforts to
support Ukraine and ensure a robust
international response, the Defence Secretary
announces: “UK personnel will now provide to
the Ukrainian armed forces medical, logistics,
infantry, and intelligence capacity-building
training from mid-March.” (Operation Orbital)
23 February 2015
Prime Minister David Cameron announces the
UK will provide £15 million in emergency
assistance to provide food, blankets,
emergency shelter and basic medical supplies
to vulnerable and displaced Ukrainians.
3 March 2015 The Prime Minister holds a video conference
call with other world leaders to discuss how
Europe and the US should work together to
enforce the Minsk agreements.
22 March 2015 Marking a year after President Putin signed
the decree confirming the illegal annexation
of Crimea, the Foreign Secretary again
condemns the flagrant breach of Ukrainian
and international law and says Russia must
return Crimea to Ukraine.
12 October 2015
The Defence secretary issues a written
statement updating the House of Commons
on the UK’s support to training Ukrainian
personnel through Operation Orbital.
21 March 2016 On the second anniversary of Russia’s
annexation of Crimea, the Foreign Secretary
again calls for Russia to return Crimea to
Ukraine and condemns Russia’s continued
breach of international law.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
22
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
8 July 2016 The Prime Minister meets with Ukrainian
President Poroshenko at the NATO Summit in
Warsaw and reaffirms the UK's commitment
to Ukraine's sovereignty.
9 July 2016
At the NATO Summit in Warsaw, the heads of
state and government of the NATO-Ukraine
Commission endorse the Comprehensive
Assistance Package (CAP) for Ukraine,
enhancing NATO’s assistance for Ukraine.
8 June 2017 The Ukrainian Parliament votes to restore
NATO membership as the country's strategic
foreign policy objective.
In a statement, the parliament announced it
had passed the bill “to amend the Ukrainian
laws on national security and internal and
foreign policies. The new laws hereby enact
Ukraine's commitment to achieve NATO
membership strategically by having made it
legally binding,”
11 June 2017 Ukraine's association agreement with the EU
is ratified by all signatories, promoting
deeper political ties, stronger economic links,
and respect for common values between the
two.
5 July 2017 The Defence Secretary announces the UK has
directly trained over 5,000 members of
Ukraine’s Armed Forces; 1,000 more than
initially targeted.
1 September 2017 Ukraine's association agreement with the
European Union enters into force.
December 2017 The US, under President Trump’s
administration, approves the largest
commercial sale of lethal arms to Ukraine
since 2014, moving beyond the non-lethal
military assistance that the Obama
administration allowed.
15 May 2018 President Putin opens a 12-mile bridge
between the Russian mainland and Crimea,
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
23
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
tightening Russia’s hold over the annexed
peninsula.
31 August 2018 Alexander Zakharchenko, the leader of a
Kremlin-backed separatist republic in eastern
Ukraine is killed in a blast close to his official
residence in Donetsk. He had been appointed
prime minister of the so-called Donetsk
People’s Republic (DNR) in November 2014.
20 November 2018 The UK Government joins calls for Russia to
stop delaying or preventing access for ships
to the Sea of Azov, following a discussion at
the EU Foreign Affairs Council. Restrictions on
freedom of passage have been accompanied
by an increase in Russia’s military presence in
the sea.
27 November 2018 Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt responds
to an urgent question on Russian action in the
sea of Azov and the subsequent declaration of
martial law in parts of Ukraine.
He says: “Our position is clear: Russia’s
actions are not in conformity with the United
Nations convention on the law of the sea or
the 2003 Russia-Ukraine bilateral agreement,
which provides free passage in the sea of
Azov, including for military ships.”
30 November 2018 The foreign ministers of the G7 countries issue
a statement expressing their concern over
Russia's actions against Ukraine in the Kerch
Strait.
5 January 2019 The Ukrainian Orthodox Church gains formal
independence from the Russian Orthodox
Church. The Ukrainian church had been under
the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate
since 1686 and the move is predicted to
heighten geopolitical tensions in the region.
21 February 2019 An amendment to Ukraine’s constitution,
setting NATO membership as a strategic
foreign and security policy, enters into force.
18 March 2019
On the fifth anniversary of Russia’s annexation
of Crimea, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
24
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
condemns Russia and says: “The UK will never
recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of
Crimea and we call on Russia to end their
illegitimate control of the peninsula and their
attempts to redraw the boundaries of
Europe.”
21 April 2019 Former actor and comedian Volodymyr
Zelenskyy defeats Petro Poroshenko in the
presidential election, promising to tackle
corruption and end the conflict in eastern
Ukraine. It is a landslide victory, with
Zelenskyy taking over 70% of the votes.
21 July 2019 President Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People
party wins a majority of seats in the
parliamentary election.
22 August 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls President
Zelenskyy and reiterates the UK’s support in
ending the conflict in the Donbas.
7 September 2019
Russia and Ukraine exchange dozens of
prisoners captured in the wake of Moscow's
annexation of Crimea and intervention in the
Donbas.
Both countries free 35 prisoners as part of the
exchange, the first since 2014.
There is controversy, however, over Ukraine’s
decision to hand Vladimir Tsemakh over to
Moscow, a separatist commander thought to
be involved in the downing of Malaysia
Airlines MH17 in July 2014.
4 November 2019 The Defence secretary issues a written
statement updating the House of Commons
on Operation Orbital. UK Armed Forces
personnel deployed on Operation Orbital have
trained over 17,500 members of the Armed
Forces of Ukraine since 2015.
20 March 2020 Ukraine enters its first lockdown to tackle the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
25
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
9 June 2020 The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
approves a $5bn lifeline to support Ukraine
during a pandemic-induced recession.
12 June 2020 Ukraine is granted NATO Enhanced
Opportunity Partner (EOP) status. This status
is part of NATO’s Partnership Interoperability
Initiative, which aims to maintain and deepen
cooperation between Allies and partners that
have made significant contributions to NATO-
led operations and missions.
14 September 2020
President Zelenskyy approves Ukraine’s new
National Security Strategy. which provides for
the development of a distinctive partnership
with NATO, with the aim of NATO
membership.
8 October 2020 On a two-day visit to the UK, Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime
Minister Boris Johnson sign a landmark
Strategic Partnership Agreement, paving the
way for stronger cooperation between the UK
and Ukraine.
31 December 2020 The UK-Ukraine Political, Free Trade and
Strategic Partnership Agreement enters into
force.
20 February 2021 President Zelenskyy’s government imposes
sanctions on several Ukrainian politicians
with close ties to Russian President Putin,
including political heavyweight Viktor
Medvedchuk, the Kremlin’s most prominent
ally in Ukraine.
20 February 2021 The UK reaffirms its support of Ukraine’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity, seven
years after Russia annexed Crimea.
To mark the seventh anniversary of the
annexation, the UK Government announces
funding for a new project to improve access to
vital services for Ukrainians living in Crimea.
5 April 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to
President Zelenskyy and expresses the UK’s
significant concerns about the recent Russian
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
26
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
military activity on Ukraine’s border and in
Crimea.
6 April 2021 Russia announces the start of mass military
drills, raising tensions with Ukraine amid
Western concern about the risk of renewed
fighting.
14 April 2021 Russia and Ukraine hold simultaneous
military drills as NATO foreign and defence
ministers began emergency discussions on
the massing of Russian troops near the
Ukrainian border.
Ukraine’s defence minister, Andrii Taran, says
110,000 Russian troops are massing on the
border in 56 battalion-sized tactical groups,
citing Kyiv’s latest intelligence.
22 April 2021 After weeks of tension over the build-up of
Russian troops close to Ukraine's border,
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu
announces Russia will re-deploy its forces
back to their home bases by 1 May,
temporarily averting the crisis.
2 September 2021 During a visit to the White House, President
Zelenskyy presses US President Biden for a
firm commitment to NATO membership, but
gets little encouragement.
26 October 2021
Ukraine uses a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone in
combat for the first time in eastern Ukraine,
angering Russia.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
27
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
3 Ukraine crisis: November 2021 – 23
February 2022
Key events
13 November 2021: President Zelenskyy says nearly 100,000
Russian troops have massed on the border with Ukraine.
17 December 2021: Russia presents a list of security
demands in order to defuse the crisis over Ukraine, including
a legally binding guarantee that Ukraine will never be
accepted as a NATO Member State and that NATO will give
up any military activity in eastern Europe and Ukraine.
22 January 2022: In a rare reference to intelligence-
gathering, the Foreign Office exposes evidence of a plot to
install a pro-Russian government in Ukraine.
24 January 2022: The US places 8,500 troops on heightened
alert to deploy to Europe as NATO reinforces its eastern
borders with warships and fighter jets.
10 February 2022: Russia launches what is being called its
largest military exercise since the Cold War, holding joint
manoeuvres with Belarus, close to the Belarus/Ukrainian
border.
21 February 2022: President Putin recognises the
independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s
Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. He then orders
Russian troops into the territories for what he describes as
“peacekeeping duties”.
13 November 2021 After weeks of increasing numbers of Russian
troops massing near the border with Ukraine,
President Zelenskyy says nearly 100,000
Russian soldiers are massed by mid-
November.
7 December 2021
US President Joe Biden warns Russia of
sweeping Western economic sanctions if it
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
28
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
invades Ukraine. In a two-hour virtual
meeting with President Putin, Biden voices the
“deep concerns of the United States and our
European allies about Russia’s escalation of
forces surrounding Ukraine”.
8 December 2021 UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss hold talks with
her counterpart in Ukraine, Foreign Minister
Dmytro Kuleba, in the face of Russian
aggression.
This is the first UK-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue,
part of an agreement signed by the Prime
Minister and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
during his visit to London a year earlier.
12 December 2021 G7 Foreign Ministers and the High
Representative of the European Union issue a
statement on Russia’s military build-up and
aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine.
The statement calls on Russia to “de-
escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and
abide by its international commitments on
transparency of military activities”.
13 December 2021 The Prime Minister speaks to President Putin
and expresses the UK Government’s deep
concern over the build-up of Russian forces
on Ukraine’s border, and reiterates “the
importance of working through diplomatic
channels to de-escalate tensions and identify
durable solutions”.
17 December 2021
Russia presents a highly contentious list of
security demands in order to lower tensions in
Europe and defuse the crisis over Ukraine,
including a legally binding guarantee that
Ukraine will never gain NATO membership
and NATO will give up any military activity in
eastern Europe and Ukraine.
23 December 2021
The Foreign Secretary condemns Russia’s
“aggressive and inflammatory rhetoric
against Ukraine and NATO”, adding: “NATO is
a defensive alliance and Ukraine continues to
show commendable restraint in the face of
Russian provocation and aggression.”
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
29
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
10 January 2022 US and Russian diplomats hold a day of
negotiations in Geneva over the fate of
Ukraine. The talks are later described as
“useful” and “very professional”, but no
progress is made towards resolving
fundamental disagreements.
12 January 2022 The NATO-Russia Council meets.
13 January 2022 The OSCE Permanent Council meets, in a pre-
planned session and irrespective of the
situation in Ukraine. Western allies, including
the Head of the UK delegation welcome the
proposal to use the OSCE as a forum for
revitalised European security talks.
14 January 2022 A massive cyberattack leaves Ukrainian
government websites temporarily
unavailable.
The websites are hacked with a message in
Ukrainian, Russian and Polish, saying
Ukrainians’ personal data had been leaked
into the public domain.
The message reads, in part: “Be afraid and
expect the worst. This is for your past, present
and future.”
15 January 2022
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace meets
Nordic partners amid a backdrop of
aggressive Russian behaviour on the border
of Ukraine.
22 January 2022 In a rare reference to intelligence-gathering,
the Foreign Office exposes evidence of a plot
to install a pro-Russian government in
Ukraine.
Former Ukrainian MP Yevhen Murayev is
identified as being the potential candidate
under consideration to lead this pro-Russian
government.
24 January 2022 The US places 8,500 troops on heightened
alert to deploy to Europe as NATO reinforces
its eastern borders with warships and fighter
jets, amid growing fears of a possible
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
30
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
“lightning” attack by Russia to seize the
Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
25 January 2022 In a statement to the House of Commons, on
the UK’s response to the situation in Ukraine,
the Prime Minister outlines several measures
being considered. These include imposing
heavy economic sanctions on Russia.
26 January 2022 The US and NATO deliver separate written
responses to Russia’s security demands. The
US rules out Russia’s demand to halt NATO’s
eastward expansion, but says it is open to
talks on arms control.
28 January 2022
As President Biden announces additional US
troop deployments to eastern Europe,
President Putin says the US and NATO have
not addressed Moscow’s main security
demands.
The Kremlin lists Russia’s principal concerns
as avoiding NATO expansion, not deploying
offensive weapons near Russia’s borders and
returning NATO military capabilities and
infrastructure to how they were before former
Warsaw Pact states in Eastern Europe joined
the alliance. Russia also seeks guarantees
that Ukraine will be permanently barred from
joining NATO.
31 January 2022 In a statement to the House of Commons,
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss updates Members
on what the UK Government is doing to tackle
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary announces the UK is
supplying Ukraine with defensive, anti-tank
missiles, and deploying a training team of
British personnel. 21,000 members of the
Ukrainian army have already been trained
through Operation Orbital.
The UK will also increase investment in
Ukraine’s future, ramping up support for
trade up to £3.5 billion, including £1.7 billion
to boost Ukraine’s naval capability.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
31
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
1 February 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President
Zelenskyy hold a joint press conference in
Kyiv.
The Prime Minister emphasises the UK’s
“unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s
sovereignty, independence, and territorial
integrity within its internationally recognised
borders”.
2 February 2022 The US announces it will send an additional
2,000 soldiers to Europe and reposition a
further 1,000 from Germany to Romania, to
ensure the “robust defence” of European
NATO members amid the ongoing impasse
between Russia and Ukraine.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby says:
“These movements are unmistakable signals
to the world that we stand ready to reassure
our NATO allies and deter and defend against
any aggression.”
The UK Prime Minister speaks to Russian
President Putin and expresses his deep
concern about Russia’s current hostile activity
on the Ukrainian border, and stresses any
further Russian incursion into Ukrainian
territory would be a “tragic miscalculation”.
4 February 2022
Meeting at the start of the Winter Olympics in
Beijing, Presidents Xi Jinping of China and
Vladimir Putin of Russia sign a joint statement
calling on the West to “abandon the
ideologised approaches of the cold war”.
In a joint statement released by the Kremlin,
Putin and Xi call on NATO to rule out
expansion in eastern Europe, denounce the
formation of security blocs in the Asia Pacific
region, and criticise the Aukus trilateral
security pact between the US, UK and
Australia.
7 February 2022
French President Emmanuel Macron meets
President Putin for lengthy talks at the
Kremlin, aimed at preventing a Russian
attack on Ukraine. Macron warns the two
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
32
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
sides need to work quickly to avoid the risk of
an escalation.
8 February 2022 Following a meeting with President Zelenskyy
in Kyiv, President Macron says the standoff
between Russia and Ukraine could take
months to resolve.
Meanwhile, six Russian warships and a
submarine pass through the Dardanelles
strait, heading towards the Black Sea from
the Mediterranean. Russia’s Defence Ministry
describes the deployment as a pre-planned
movement of military resources.
9 February 2022 President Biden tells Americans still in Ukraine
to leave as soon as possible, amid fears of a
Russian invasion. He warns: “Things could go
crazy quickly.”
10 February 2022 Russia launches what is being called its
largest military exercise since the Cold War,
holding joint manoeuvres with Belarus, close
to the Belarus/Ukrainian border.
Russia’s Defence Ministry says the exercise
will continue until 20 February and includes
30,000 personnel, warplanes, missile
launchers and live-fire exercises, with a focus
on “suppressing and repelling external
aggression during a defensive operation.”
The White House denounces the operation as
yet another escalation of tensions along the
Ukraine border.
The UK Prime Minister travels to Brussels and
Warsaw, calling on international partners to
demonstrate their solidarity with those NATO
allies who will bear the brunt of Russian
aggression.
During a visit to Moscow, the UK Foreign
Secretary meets her Russian counterpart,
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and
condemns Russia’s build-up of forces on the
border with Ukraine.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
33
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
11 February 2022 UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace holds talks
with his Russian counterpart, the Minister of
Defence of the Russian Federation, General of
the Army Sergei Shoigu. This is the first time
the two nations’ defence ministers have met
since General Shoigu visited London in 2013,
and the first time a British Defence Secretary
has visited Moscow since 2001.
The Prime Minister holds a virtual meeting
with the leaders of the US, Canada, Italy,
Poland, Romania, France, Germany, the
European Council, the European Commission
and NATO. The leaders pledge to redouble
diplomatic efforts in the coming days to de-
escalate the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The UK Government updates its travel advice
to Ukraine, advising British nationals against
all travel to Ukraine. British nationals
currently in Ukraine are urged to leave
immediately while commercial means are still
available.
In an interview with NBC News, US President
Biden again tells American citizens to leave
Ukraine, saying there are no plans for a
military operation to rescue them.
It is reported that Russia has now amassed
some 140,000 troops close to the border with
Ukraine and in annexed Crimea.
14 February 2022 Russia’s ambassador to the EU says Moscow
would be within its rights to launch a
“counterattack” if it felt it needed to protect
Russian citizens living in eastern Ukraine.
G7 Finance Ministers meet to discuss the
situation in Ukraine and issue a statement
“supporting the ongoing efforts to urgently
identify a diplomatic path towards de-
escalation”.
15 February 2022 President Putin confirms a “partial”
drawdown of Russian forces near the
Ukrainian border, in a step that could begin a
de-escalation of tensions. However, NATO
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
34
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says
there is no immediate sign of a withdrawal.
The Duma, Russia’s lower house of
parliament, votes to ask President Putin to
recognise the Donetsk People’s Republic and
Luhansk People’s Republic as independent.
16 February 2022 In a “Unity Day” holiday created earlier in the
week by President Zelenskyy, Ukrainians raise
national flags and play the country's anthem
to show unity against fears of a Russian
invasion that Western powers say could be
imminent.
17 February 2022 Addressing a UN Security Council meeting, US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia
is preparing an invasion of Ukraine “in the
coming days” and that there is no evidence it
is withdrawing any troops.
Russia expels the US deputy chief of mission
(DCM) to Russia, Bart Gorman, the US’s
second most senior diplomat in Moscow. The
US State Department describes the move as
“an escalatory step”.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss criticises the
Duma’s request for President Putin to
recognise the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk
and Luhansk as independent, saying it shows
a “flagrant disregard” for Russia’s peace
process commitments.
The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace,
announces a substantial UK contribution to
NATO’s uplift in Eastern Europe, doubling the
number of personnel in Estonia and sending
additional equipment, including tanks and
armoured fighting vehicles.
18 February 2022 US ambassador to the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, Michael
Carpenter, says Russia has “massed between
169,000 and 190,000 personnel in and near
Ukraine”.
President Biden says he is “convinced”
Russia’s president has decided to invade
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
35
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Ukraine, but says there is still time for
diplomacy to avert war.
19 February 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian
President Zelenskyy at the Munich security
conference and underscores the UK’s
unequivocal support for Ukraine’s sovereignty
and territorial integrity.
Foreign Minister Liz Truss tells the conference
that Ukraine could face the “worst-case
scenario” of a Russian invasion as soon as
next week, and Europe faces one of its most
perilous security situations since the early
20th century.
A joint statement from G7 foreign ministers
urges further diplomacy but warns it will
“judge Russia by its deeds”.
Russia’s strategic nuclear forces hold
exercises overseen by Putin. The Kremlin says
Russia successfully test-launched hypersonic
and cruise missiles at sea and land-based
targets during the exercises.
20 February 2022 President Macron of France invites Russian
President Putin and US President Biden to
attend a summit aimed at de-escalating the
Ukraine crisis. The leaders agree in principle.
The US administration signals its willingness
to work towards a diplomatic solution, but
reiterates its view that Russian forces have
been ordered to proceed with an invasion of
Ukraine.
Satellite images appear to show new
deployments of Russian troops and armoured
equipment, with some just 15 kilometres from
the border with Ukraine.
21 February 2022 President Putin recognises the independence
of the two breakaway territories in eastern
Ukraine – the Luhansk People’s Republic and
Donetsk People’s Republic. Treaties of
friendship, cooperation and mutual
assistance were signed by Russia and the
leaders of the LPR and DPR. Several Western
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
36
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
leaders condemn the move, calling it a
violation of the Minsk peace deal.
Putin orders Russian troops into the territories
for what he describes as “peacekeeping
duties”.
In a statement to the House of Commons,
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace updates
Members on Russia's actions towards
Ukraine. He notes an increased number of
Russian troops massing around the border
with Ukraine, saying: “As of 09.00 hours
today, there are now more than 110 battalion
tactical groups massed around Ukraine’s
borders with Russia and Belarus. In addition,
in the Black Sea Fleet, there are two
amphibious groups, nine cruise missile-
equipped Russian ships and a further four
cruise missile-capable vessels in the Caspian
sea.”
In the evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson
speaks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy to discuss the deteriorating
situation in and around Ukraine, and warns
an invasion is a real possibility in the coming
hours and days.
The UN Security Council meets in the evening
for an emergency session, at the request of
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba.
22 February 2022 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
tells reporters there is “every indication is
that Russia is continuing to plan for a full-
scale attack of Ukraine”.
In a statement to the House of Commons, the
Prime Minister updates Members on the
situation in Ukraine and condemns President
Putin’s violation of the Minsk peace
agreements in recognising the so-called
people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as
independent.
The Prime Minister outlines a package of
sanctions to be imposed on “Russian
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
37
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
individuals and entities of strategic
importance to the Kremlin”.
He also provides an update on the measures
the UK has taken to prepare Ukraine for
another onslaught: “Training 22,000 soldiers,
supplying 2,000 anti-tank missiles, and
providing £100 million for economic reform
and energy independence.” A new guarantee
of up to $500 million of Development Bank
financing is also announced.
Following Russia’s recognition of two so-
called “people's republics” and the movement
of military forces into Ukraine, the Foreign
Office summons the Russian Ambassador to
register the UK’s formal protest over Russia’s
“continued undermining of Ukraine’s
territorial integrity and sovereignty and
flagrant disregard for the international
obligations and commitments it has freely
signed up to”.
The US and EU also impose sanctions on
Russia, and Germany announces it will halt
certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
23 February 2022 Ukraine prepares its population for the
prospect of a devastating war, with the
parliament voting to approve a state of
emergency decree, allowing authorities to
“impose curfews and restrictions on
movement, block rallies and ban political
parties and organisations”. The decree will
begin on 24 February and last for 30 days.
Airports in the eastern Ukrainian cities of
Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia close their
air space, and the nearly 3 million Ukrainians
still in Russia are told to leave the country as
soon as possible.
President Putin says Russia is ready to look for
“diplomatic solutions” over Ukraine, but
stresses his country’s interests are non-
negotiable. In an address marking the
Defender of the Fatherland Day, Putin is cited
as saying: “Our country is always open for
direct and honest dialogue, for the search for
diplomatic solutions to the most complex
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
38
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
problems. The interests of Russia, the security
of our citizens, are non-negotiable for us.”
Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, the
respective heads of the so-called People’s
Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, request
help “in repelling the aggression of the
Ukrainian armed forces”, according to the
Interfax news agency, quoting Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Several analysts
suggest these requests could be the pretext
Russia uses to launch an attack on Ukraine.
The UN General Assembly meets to discuss
the Ukraine crisis, with several member states
calling for Russia to deescalate and spelling
out the consequences of an invasion.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
39
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
4 Current conflict: 24 February 2022 – 31
May 2022
Key events
24 February 2022: In an early morning address on Russian
state television, President Putin announces Russian forces
will carry out “a special military operation” in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy introduces martial law and
closes Ukraine’s airspace.
25 February 2022: President Zelenskyy decrees a full
military mobilisation and all men aged 18-60 are forbidden
from leaving Ukraine.
The UN Security Council rejects a draft resolution intended to
end Russia’s military action after Russia uses its veto.
27 February 2022: President Zelenskyy announces Ukraine
has filed a lawsuit against Russia to the UN International
Court of Justice at the Hague.
President Putin orders Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces to
be put on high alert.
28 February 2022: Russian forces launch rocket attacks that
kill “dozens” of civilians in Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv,
and begin a renewed assault on the capital Kyiv.
President Zelenskyy signs an official request for Ukraine to
join the EU immediately under a special procedure.
1 March 2022: President Zelenskyy urges Western nations to
enforce a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine.
2 March 2022: Russian forces in Ukraine move to tighten
their siege of key cities, including the capital, Kyiv, and the
southern port of Mariupol.
The UN General Assembly votes overwhelmingly for a
resolution deploring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling
for the immediate withdrawal of its forces.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
40
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
The UK and 37 other countries formally refer reports of
atrocities committed in Ukraine to the International Criminal
Court (ICC).
3 March 2022: A fire breaks out at a nuclear power plant in
Zaporizhzhia, after shelling by Russian forces.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence says the Russian advance on
Kyiv has been delayed by “staunch Ukrainian resistance,
mechanical breakdown and congestion”.
4 March 2022: NATO’s Secretary-General rejects a “no-fly
zone” over Ukraine.
7 March 2022: Ukraine rejects an offer from Russia to create
“humanitarian corridors”, after it emerges most of the
routes lead directly to Russia or its ally, Belarus.
8 March 2022: President Zelenskyy broadcasts live to the
House of Commons.
10 March 2022: The UK announces sanctions against seven
Russian businessmen, including Roman Abramovich.
11 March 2022: The UK announces asset freezes and travel
bans on 386 members of the Russian Duma.
15 March 2022: The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic
and Slovenia travel to Kyiv on an EU mission to show support
for Ukraine.
16 March 2022: The International Court of Justice orders
Russia to stop its invasion, saying it has not seen any
evidence to support the Kremlin’s justification to attack
Ukraine.
18 March 2022: President Putin addresses a large crowd at
Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, marking the eighth anniversary
of Crimea’s annexation.
7 April 2022: The UN General Assembly votes to suspend
Russia’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council.
6 May 2022: The UN Security Council issues its first
statement on the war in Ukraine, but withholds from using
the words “war”, “conflict” or “invasion”.
12 May 2022: Finland’s President and Prime Minister endorse
their country’s application to join NATO.
16 May 2022: The Swedish government confirms it intends to
apply for membership of NATO.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
41
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
24 February 2022 In an early morning address (just before 3am, UK
time) on Russian state television, President Putin
announces Russian forces will carry out “a special
military operation” in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy then makes an urgent
national address, introducing martial law, while
urging people to remain calm. Ukraine’s airspace is
also closed.
Zelenskyy decrees a full military mobilisation against
the Russian military action, as he criticises the West
and says Ukraine is being left on its own to fight
Russia.
In a statement to the House of Commons on the
situation in Ukraine, the Prime Minister updates
Members on Russia’s “onslaught” and announces a
further package of sanctions and asset freezes on
Russian entities and individuals.
The Foreign Office publishes further details of the
sanctions to be imposed and the Foreign Secretary
summons the Russian Ambassador over Russia’s
“unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine”. The
Home Secretary, meanwhile, announces visa
concessions for Ukrainians.
In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Boris
Johnson says: “President Putin of Russia has
unleashed war in our European continent,” and
pledges to continue working “to ensure that the
sovereignty and independence of Ukraine is
restored”.
25 February 2022 Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gives an
early morning address and confirms multiple reports
of Russian missile strikes. He again asserts that his
country has been left to fight Russia alone, saying:
“We have been left alone to defend our state. Who is
ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone. Who
is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO
membership? Everyone is afraid.”
President Zelenskyy decrees a full military
mobilisation and all men aged 18-60 are forbidden
from leaving Ukraine.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
42
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
The 47-nation Council of Europe announces Russia
will be suspended with “immediate effect” from the
organisation’s Committee of Ministers and
parliamentary assembly, “as a result of the Russian
Federation’s armed attack on Ukraine.”
The UN Security Council rejects a draft resolution
intended to end Russia’s military action against
Ukraine. The draft, submitted by Albania and the
United States, wins support from 11 member states
but Russia’s veto ensures the draft resolution falls.
China, India and the United Arab Emirates all
abstain.
The leaders of NATO Member States meet to discuss
Russia’s attack on Ukraine; additional deployments
to the alliance’s eastern flank are announced. The
Prime Minister outlines details of the UK’s new offer
to NATO.
In a third wave of sanctions in four days, the UK
Government announces Russian President Vladimir
Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be hit
with an assets freeze.
The Prime Minister addresses a NATO leaders’
meeting in the afternoon, to update allies on the UK’s
next steps following Russia’s bombardment of
Ukraine.
26 February 2022 Fierce fighting breaks out in Kyiv as Russian forces try
to push their way towards the city centre from
multiple directions. President Zelenskyy rejects a US
offer to evacuate him from the Ukraine’s capital.
The US, Canada and key European countries agree to
remove “selected Russian banks” from the Swift
payment system.
27 February 2022 Responding to claims that the Russia is “ready for
talks” with Ukraine, President Zelenskyy says his
country is ready for peace talks with Russia, but not
in Belarus. He describes the country as a staging
ground for Russia’s invasion.
President Putin makes a televised address, saluting
the “heroism” of Russian special forces in what he
describes as a “special operation to provide
assistance to the people’s republics of the Donbas”.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
43
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
President Zelenskyy announces Ukraine has filed a
lawsuit against Russia to the UN International Court
of Justice at the Hague.
The UN Refugee Agency says the number of people
fleeing Ukraine has reached 368,000, and more than
4.5 million more could follow if the fighting spreads.
There are also reports of tens of thousands on the
move within the country itself.
President Putin orders Russia’s military to put the
country’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert in
response to “aggressive statements” by NATO
countries.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General, responds
to Putin’s move: “This is dangerous rhetoric. This is a
behaviour which is irresponsible.”
A referendum in Belarus reportedly approves a new
constitution renouncing the country’s non-nuclear
status. The move theoretically allows Russia to place
nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil for the first time
since the country gave them up after the fall of the
Soviet Union.
The UN Security Council votes to call for a rare
emergency special session of the UN General
Assembly the following day, to discuss Russia’s
military operation in Ukraine. The vote follows the
veto of the draft Security Council resolution by Russia
on 25 February.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces £40m of
additional aid will be released to provide vital
medical supplies and other help to Ukraine.
28 February 2022 Forty Ukrainian civil society groups come together to
call on the West to establish safe zones for refugees
inside Ukraine, and provide technology to help
document Russian war crimes as part of a plan to
make Russia’s President Putin and his inner circle
face justice at the International Criminal Court.
The first round of Ukraine-Russia talks aimed at
ending the fighting between Russia and its neighbour
conclude with no immediate agreement.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in
The Hague announces he will launch an investigation
into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
44
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
in Ukraine. The move comes amid mounting evidence
of Russia’s use of indiscriminate cluster munitions on
Ukrainian cities.
President Zelenskyy signs an official request for
Ukraine to join the European Union immediately
under a special procedure.
Turkey, a NATO member with good ties to both
Russia and Ukraine, pledges to implement parts of
an international pact that would potentially limit the
transit of Russian warships from the Mediterranean
to the Black Sea.
1 March 2022 President Zelenskyy tells the European Parliament
Ukraine is “giving away its best people for a desire to
be treated as equals” and for the price of freedom.
He calls on EU member states to prove their loyalty
to Ukraine.
Russia’s defence ministry warns Kyiv residents to
leave their homes as it plans to strike targets in the
Ukrainian capital.
President Zelenskyy urges Western nations to enforce
a “no-fly zone” as a measure to stop any further
bombardment by Russia, but the US rules out such a
measure.
The UK Government pledges a further £80 million in
aid to help Ukraine deal with humanitarian crisis and
announces further sanctions against Russia,
including banning Russian ships from UK ports and
additional economic measures. The Foreign
Secretary also unveils the first tranche of sanctions
against Belarusian individuals and organisations, in
response to Belarus’ role in supporting Russia’s
military action against Ukraine.
2 March 2022 The UN votes overwhelmingly for a resolution
deploring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling for
the immediate withdrawal of its forces. The
emergency session of the UN’s General Assembly
sees 141 of the 193 member states voting for the
resolution, 35 abstaining, and five voting against. The
five countries voting no were Russia, Belarus, North
Korea, Eritrea and Syria.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
45
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
The UK and 37 other countries formally refer reports
of atrocities committed in Ukraine to the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, says more than one million people have
fled Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country
a week earlier.
3 March 2022 A war crimes investigation is launched into Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine, after an unprecedented number
of countries backed the move. Karim Khan, chief
prosecutor for ICC, says he will begin work “as
rapidly as possible” to look for possible crimes
against humanity or genocide committed in Ukraine.
In a second round of talks, Ukraine and Russia agree
to create humanitarian corridors to evacuate
civilians.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy calls for direct talks
with the Russia’s President Putin, saying it is “the only
way to stop this war”.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announces sanctions
against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Igor
Shuvalov, with a full asset freeze and travel ban
imposed.
4 March 2022 President Zelenskyy appeals to Europe for help
following the attack on the Ukrainian nuclear plant
and accuses Russia of nuclear terrorism, saying; “For
the first time in the history of humankind, the
terrorist state commits nuclear terrorism.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) puts
its Incident and Emergency Centre in “full 24/7
response mode” due to the “serious situation”
unfolding at Zaporizhzhia.
NATO foreign ministers discuss a “no-fly zone” over
Ukraine but, speaking after the meeting, the NATO
Secretary-General says: “Allies agree that we should
not have NATO planes operating over Ukrainian
airspace or NATO troops on Ukrainian territory.”
President Zelenskyy criticises NATO’s decision,
saying: “The alliance has given the green light to the
bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages by refusing
to create a no-fly zone.” He adds: “All the people
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
46
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
who die from this day forward will also die because
of you, because of your weakness, because of your
lack of unity.”
5 March 2022 The UK urges British nationals to consider leaving
Russia if their presence in the country is not
essential.
A planned evacuation from Mariupol and Volnovakha
is thrown in chaos as Russia continues to attack
despite agreeing a humanitarian corridor.
President Putin describes sanctions imposed by
Western nations over his invasion of Ukraine as "akin
to a declaration of war".
He also says Russia will consider any country that
imposes a no-fly zone over Ukraine as having entered
the conflict: “Any movement in this direction will be
considered by us as participation in an armed
conflict by that country.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson issues a six-point plan
which he hopes will ensure Russia fails in its military
action against Ukraine:
1. we must mobilise an international humanitarian
coalition
2. we must do more to help Ukraine to defend itself
3. we must maximise the economic pressure on Mr
Putin’s regime
4. no matter how long it takes, we must prevent
any creeping normalisation of what Russia does
in Ukraine
5. we should always be open to diplomacy and de-
escalation
6. we must act now to strengthen Euro-Atlantic
security
6 March 2022 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who tells him
Beijing opposes any moves that “add fuel to the
flames” in Ukraine.
David Arakhamia, one of Ukraine’s negotiators, says
his country is not willing to compromise on its
territorial integrity in talks but Russia, but is open to
discussing “non-NATO models” for its future.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
47
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRS)
says the safe passage of civilians from Ukraine’s
besieged eastern port city of Mariupol is “halted” for
a second consecutive day.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the UK will
provide $100 million to Ukraine’s government
through the World Bank.
President Zelenskyy addresses the people of Ukraine,
warning Russian troops he will punish those who
commit atrocities in Ukraine: “We will not forgive. We
will not forget. We will punish everyone who
committed atrocities in this war on our land.”
7 March 2022 Ukraine rejects an offer from Russia to create
“humanitarian corridors”, allowing civilians to flee
six heavily bombed Ukrainian cities, after it emerges
most of the supposedly safe routes lead directly to
Russia or its ally, Belarus.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry says Russian shelling is
preventing the evacuation of civilians from Kyiv,
Mariupol, Sumy, Kharkiv, Volnovakha and Mykolayiv.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, estimates as
many as five million Ukrainians will flee the country if
Russia’s bombing campaign continues.
The UN’s refugee agency notes more than 1.7 million
Ukrainians have already crossed into central Europe.
The third round of Russian-Ukrainian talks end with
the delegations reporting some positive signs but no
breakthrough. Mykhailo Polodnyak, an adviser to
President Zelenskyy, says there has been some
“small positive developments in improving the
logistics of humanitarian corridors”.
The US Ambassador to the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Michael
Carpenter, accuses Belarus of “stabbing [its]
neighbour in the back”, and describes Belarus as
being a “co-aggressor” in Russia’s military action in
Ukraine.
The UK Ambassador to the OSCE, Neil Bush, calls out
the Russian government for lying about their plan to
invade Ukraine and expresses UK solidarity with the
Ukrainian people.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
48
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister, Oleksander
Kubrakov, says Ukraine has suffered about $10 billion
in damage to infrastructure since Russia launched
military action against the country.
At a joint press conference in the UK, Prime Minister
Boris Johnson makes a statement alongside Dutch
Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau. They pledge additional aid
for Ukraine and announce a new ‘International
Ukraine Support Group’ to coordinate the efforts of
the international community in providing long term,
unwavering assistance.
In a US Department of Defence briefing, an official
says Russia has now committed almost 100% of the
forces it had amassed for the attack on Ukraine: an
estimated 127 battalion tactical groups. The official
also explains the US has assessed that Russia has
launched over 625 missiles, mostly short and medium
range surface to air missiles and cruise missiles.
In a meeting of the UN Security Council, UK
Ambassador Barbara Woodward praises Ukraine’s
resistance and accuses President Putin of “directing
a campaign of violence and cruelty against civilians”.
8 March 2022 In a Facebook post, the chief of staff of Ukraine’s
armed forces says they are fighting back against the
invasion all over the country.
Russia reportedly opens humanitarian corridors from
Kyiv, Cherhihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol so that
civilians can be evacuated.
The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine reaches two
million, according to the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, Filippo Grandi. Ukraine’s ministry of
foreign affairs reports 12,000 Russian personnel have
been killed in its latest assessment of their losses to
date.
Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for peace and
“maximum restraint to prevent a massive
humanitarian crisis” in Ukraine, but stops short of
criticising Russia or its president directly.
In an unprecedented address broadcast live to the
House of Commons, President Zelenskyy echoes
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
49
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Winston Churchill as he asks the UK to do more to
help Ukraine.
9 March 2022 The US Department of Defence dismisses a plan by
Poland to give the US its MiG-29 fighter jets to boost
Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Russia accuses the US of declaring an economic war
on the country and warned it is working on a broad
response to Western sanctions.
The UK announces a series of new aviation sanctions,
giving the government power to detain any Russian
aircraft in the UK.
President Zelenskyy says the international community
will be responsible for a mass “humanitarian
catastrophe” if it does not agree a no-fly zone to
protect Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities say Russian bombs have
“completely destroyed” a children’s and maternity
hospital in Mariupol, as shelling again halts mass
evacuations from several cities.
In Washington, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss meets
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National
Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss what more
the UK and US can do to support Ukraine on security,
intelligence, and humanitarian issues.
10 March 2022 Russia’s foreign ministry is quoted as saying Russia
will no longer participate in the Council of Europe.
Sergey Lavrov and Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign
ministers of Russia and Ukraine respectively, meet in
Turkey. The meeting is notable in that the Ukrainian
side indicate they are prepared for an alternative to
NATO membership, provided the country is given
security and economic guarantees underwritten by
the West and Russia.
The UK announces sanctions against seven Russian
businessmen, including Roman Abramovich and Oleg
Deripaska.
In response to an Urgent Question in the House of
Commons, the Home Secretary pledges to streamline
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
50
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
the online visa application system for Ukrainian
refugees.
The US Congress passes a spending bill late in the
evening. This includes $13.6bn in emergency aid for
Ukraine for humanitarian, defence and economic
assistance, and for sanctions enforcement.
11 March 2022 The Versailles Summit (in which the Heads of
Government of the EU, the President of the European
Council and the President of the European
Commission address the war in Ukraine and the
consequences for the EU in terms of sovereignty)
meets for a second day.
In a statement published at the end of the summit,
the leaders pledge to support Ukraine in pursuing EU
membership:
On 28 February 2022, exercising the right of
Ukraine to choose its own destiny, the President of
Ukraine submitted the application of Ukraine to
become a member of the European Union.
The Council has acted swiftly and invited the
Commission to submit its opinion on this
application in accordance with the relevant
provisions of the Treaties. Pending this and without
delay, we will further strengthen our bonds and
deepen our partnership to support Ukraine in
pursuing its European path. Ukraine belongs to our
European family.
President Putin gives the green light for up to 16,000
volunteers from the Middle East to join Russian-
backed rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The UK Government announces asset freezes and
travel bans on 386 members of the Russian Duma
who voted to recognise the independence of two
territories in Ukraine, Luhansk and Donetsk.
The UN Security Council meets, at Russia’s request,
to discuss Moscow’s claims that the US is funding
“military biological activities” in Ukraine. The UN’s
High Representative of Disarmament Affairs tells the
Security Council the UN is not aware of any such
biological weapons programmes.
12 March 2022 Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov
warns the West against sending arms to Ukraine,
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
51
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
saying Moscow will consider arms shipments as
“legitimate targets”.
In a 75-minute phone call with President Putin, the
French President and German Chancellor call for an
immediate ceasefire. A French official says the
Russian president showed no willingness to end the
war.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warns
Russia may use chemical weapons following its
invasion of Ukraine and that such a move would be a
war crime:
In recent days, we have heard absurd claims about
chemical and biological weapons laboratories.
Now that these false claims have been made, we
must remain vigilant because it is possible that
Russia itself could plan chemical weapons
operations under this fabrication of lies. That
would be a war crime.
13 March 2022
In an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, US National
Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warns Russia will pay a
“severe price” if it uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.
He says: “The use of weapons of mass destruction
would be a shocking additional line that Putin is
crossing in terms of his assault on international law
and international norms.”
14 March 2022
Further talks between Russia and Ukraine take place.
President Zelenskyy says: “Our goal is that in this
struggle, in this difficult negotiating work, Ukraine
will get the necessary result… for peace and for
security.”
15 March 2022 The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and
Slovenia travel to Kyiv on an EU mission to show
support for Ukraine. They are the first Western
visitors to the city since Russia’s military operations
began three weeks earlier.
The Kremlin announces it has put the US President,
Secretary of State and other top officials on a “stop
list” that bars them from entering Russia. The ban
comes in response to sanctions imposed by
Washington on Russian officials.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
52
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
The number of Ukrainians fleeing abroad passes
three million, data from the UN Refugee Agency
shows.
16 March 2022 A peace deal under which Ukraine abandons its
NATO aspirations in return for Russian withdrawal
and Western security guarantees moves closer.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, says:
“Neutral status is now being seriously discussed
seriously along, of course, with security guarantees.
This is what is now being discussed at the talks.
There are absolutely specific wordings and, in my
view, the sides are close to agreeing on them.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses
the US Congress, remotely from Kyiv. Zelenskyy calls
on President Biden to be a leader for peace and
repeats his calls for a no-fly zone to be imposed over
Ukraine.
The UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The
Hague orders Russia to stop its invasion, saying it
has not seen any evidence to support the Kremlin’s
justification for the war: that Ukraine was committing
genocide against Russian-speakers in the east of the
country.
The court rules by 13 votes to two for a provisional
order that “the Russian Federation shall immediately
suspend military operations that it commenced on 24
February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine”. Only the
Russian and Chinese judges on the court vote against
the order.
17 March 2022 In an address to Ukrainian citizens, President
Zelenskyy cautions Russian troops by drawing a
comparison to hostilities back in 2014:
The occupants thought they were going to Ukraine
which they had seen before, in 2014-2015, which
they corrupted and were not afraid of. But we are
different now.
And it allows us to defend ourselves against a full-
scale attack for 22 days.
18 March 2022 Russia Today has its licence to broadcast in the UK
revoked with immediate effect, after watchdog
Ofcom says it does not consider the channel "fit and
proper" or a "responsible broadcaster".
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
53
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Russia establishes a no-fly zone over Ukraine’s
Donbas region, according to a separatist official
from the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic.
The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) reports at
least 816 civilians have been killed and 1,333
wounded in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s military
operations. The real death toll is likely to be higher
as the OHCHR, which has a large monitoring team in
Ukraine, has not yet been able to verify casualty
reports from badly hit cities such as Mariupol.
Speaking to a large crowd at Moscow’s Luzhniki
stadium to mark the eighth anniversary of Crimea’s
annexation, President Putin praises Russian “unity”.
In a phone call with China’s President Xi Jinping, US
President Joe Biden lays out the consequences for
China if it supports Russia against Ukraine.
In a statement, the White House says the phone call
between the Chinese and American leaders, which
lasted nearly two hours, focused on Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine:
President Biden outlined the views of the United
States and our Allies and partners on this crisis.
President Biden detailed our efforts to prevent and
then respond to the invasion, including by
imposing costs on Russia.
He described the implications and consequences if
China provides material support to Russia as it
conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities
and civilians.
19 March 2022 Russia says it has used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic
missiles for the first time in Ukraine, to destroy a
weapons storage site in the country’s west.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns of a “new age
of intimidation” stretching from the Baltic to the
Black Sea looms if Russia succeeds in its operations
against Ukraine:
The end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the
extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and
then Moldova. It will mean the beginning of a new
age of intimidation across the whole of Eastern
Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
54
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
20 March 2022 Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, reveals ten million people – more than a
quarter of Ukraine’s population – have now fled their
homes:
Among the responsibilities of those who wage war,
everywhere in the world, is the suffering inflicted
on civilians who are forced to flee their homes.
The war in Ukraine is so devastating that 10 million
have fled either displaced inside the country, or as
refugees abroad.
21 March 2022 Komsomolskaya Pravda, a pro-Kremlin tabloid, says
almost 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in
Ukraine: “According to Russian defence ministry data
9,861 Russian soldiers had been killed in action and
another 16,153 had been wounded.”
In a news briefing the US Department of Defence
accuses Russian forces of committing war crimes in
Ukraine and says it will help gather evidence of them,
accusing the Kremlin of carrying out indiscriminate
attacks as part of an intentional strategy in the
conflict.
22 March 2022 UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivers a
stark message to Russia: “This war is unwinnable.”
He urges an immediate ceasefire and a diplomatic
solution to the crisis.
A senior US defence official says Russia’s combat
power in Ukraine has declined below 90% of its pre-
invasion levels for the first time since its attack
began, suggesting heavy losses of weaponry and
growing casualties.
23 March 2022
Russia warns NATO of dire consequences if it were to
agree to send some peacekeeping forces into
Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov tells
reporters: “It would be a very reckless and extremely
dangerous decision. A special military operation is
going on, and any possible contact by our troops
with NATO troops can lead to quite clear
consequences that would be hard to repair.”
NATO estimates that between 7,000 and 15,000
Russian soldiers have been killed since it commenced
military operations against Ukraine a month earlier.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
55
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000
troops over 10 years in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally
announces the US Government believes Russia has
committed war crimes in Ukraine and should be
prosecuted. In a statement, Blinken repeatedly raises
the brutality in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and
compares it to similar Russian campaigns against
Grozny in the Second Chechen War and Aleppo
during the Syrian civil war.
The UK Government announces it will double the
number of missiles it sends to Ukraine and urges
western allies to step up provisions of lethal aid to
the country.
24 March 2022
President Zelenskyy addresses the Swedish Riksdag,
telling parliamentarians Ukraine deserves to be a full
member of the European Union: “We are fighting not
only for Ukraine, but also for the security of the
European Union! And we have proved that we
deserve to be a full member of the European Union.
The decision is already being elaborated. It's time to
adopt it!”
President Zelenskyy also addresses the NATO summit
in a pre-recorded video address, appealing to
leaders to increase military support for his country
against Russian forces. Zelenskyy warns Russia
wants to expand further and would next target
Alliance members in eastern Europe, including
Poland and the Baltic states.
At the end of the NATO summit, the leaders of the
Member States publish a joint statement condemning
Russia’s actions against Ukraine and calling on China
to “abstain from supporting Russia’s war effort in any
way” and to “cease amplifying the Kremlin’s false
narratives”.
In The Hague, the chief prosecutor of the
International Criminal Court (ICC) asks a coalition of
countries to back his war crimes investigation in
Ukraine, saying “things can get worse” if the
international community fails to act now.
Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners in the first
swap of soldiers since Moscow ordered troops into
Ukraine one month earlier. Referring to Russian and
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
56
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Ukrainian troops, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister,
Iryna Vereshchuk, says: “In exchange for 10 captured
occupiers, we rescued 10 of our servicemen.
25 March 2022 The US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan,
reveals the US and NATO are doing contingency
planning for any possible Russian attack on NATO
territory.
Russia’s defence ministry says the first phase of its
military operation in Ukraine is generally complete
and that Russia will now focus on the “liberation” of
Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
26 March 2022 Russia again raises the spectre of the use of nuclear
weapons in its military campaign in Ukraine. Dmitry
Medvedev, a former Russian president who is deputy
chairman of the country’s security council, says
Moscow could strike against an enemy that only used
conventional weapons while Vladimir Putin’s defence
minister claims nuclear “readiness” is a priority.
27 March 2022 Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells reporters the
US has no plans for regime change in Russia. His
comments come a day after President Biden said
President Putin “cannot remain in power”. The
Kremlin later says Biden’s comments are a cause for
concern and “alarming”.
Speaking to Russian journalists in a 90-minute video
call, President Zelenskyy says Ukraine is prepared to
discuss adopting a neutral status as part of a peace
deal with Russia, but that it would have to be
guaranteed by third parties and put to a referendum.
28 March 2022 Ukraine’s economy minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, says
Ukraine has suffered $564.9bn (£429.3bn) of damage
to infrastructure, lost economic growth and other
factors since Russia began its military action.
Russia announces it is preparing to restrict entry for
citizens of “unfriendly” countries, which would
include the US, the UK, and all EU countries. In
televised remarks Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov says: “A draft presidential decree is being
developed on retaliatory visa measures in response
to the unfriendly actions of a number of foreign
states.”
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
57
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss accuses President
Putin’s forces of abducting innocent civilians,
describing the move as an “abhorrent tactic”. She
adds: “Putin must fail in Ukraine.”
29 March 2022
Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu says
Moscow’s “main goal” in Ukraine is now the
“liberation” of the Donbas region. He says:
“On the whole, the main targets of the first stage
of this operation have been reached. The combat
potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been
significantly depleted, which allows us to
concentrate attention and our main efforts on the
achievement of the primary objective, i.e. the
liberation of Donbas”.
A senior UN official says they have seen videos
purporting to show the abuse of prisoners of war on
both sides in Ukraine. Matilda Bogner, head of the
UN’s human rights office in Ukraine, says a number of
videos of the abuse are being examined, adding: “On
the face of it, it does raise serious concerns”.
30 March 2022
The UN’s refugee agency says the number of people
fleeing Ukraine since Russia’s military offensive
began on 24 February passes four million. A further
six-and-a-half million people are internally displaced
within the country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hails China as
part of a new world order, ahead of a meeting with
his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. In his first visit to
China since Russia began military operations against
Ukraine five weeks earlier, Lavrov says the world is
“living through a very serious stage in the history of
international relations”.
31 March 2022 Commenting on Russian announcements about a
scaling down of military operations around Kyiv,
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tells
reporters Russian forces in Ukraine are regrouping
and not withdrawing: “According to our intelligence,
Russian units are not withdrawing but repositioning.
Russia is trying to regroup, resupply and reinforce its
offensive in the Donbas region.”
In response to EU sanctions against Russia, the
Russian Government announces many senior EU
figures are barred from entering Russia. EU officials,
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
58
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
lawmakers, public figures and journalists are among
those sanctioned.
1 April 2022 European Union leaders call on China to help end the
war in Ukraine, after having what are described as
“frank” exchanges with their Chinese counterparts.
The US Department of Defense announces it will
provide an additional $300 million in security
assistance to Ukraine, including laser-guided rocket
systems, drones, and commercial satellite imagery
services.
3 April 2022
Europe pledges further sanctions against Russia
after reports scores of unarmed Ukrainians have
been killed in Bucha. President Zelenskyy says the
Kremlin-ordered attack on his country amounts to
genocide.
In a video address to the nation in the evening,
Zelenskyy blames former German Chancellor Angela
Merkel and ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy for
fourteen years of failed diplomacy vis a vis Russia,
saying their approach emboldened Moscow to be
more aggressive.
4 April 2022 US President Joe Biden calls for Vladimir Putin to be
tried for war crimes, telling reporters at the Fort
McNair army base in Washington: “You may
remember I got criticised for calling Putin a war
criminal. Well, the truth of the matter – we saw it
happen in Bucha – he is a war criminal.”
5 April 2022 The UK and US announce plans to seek Russia’s
suspension from the UN human rights council,
following allegations that Russian troops
systematically executed civilians in Bucha.
President Zelenskyy addresses the UN Security
Council meeting in New York via video, the first time
he has addressed the Council since Russia invaded
his country on 24 February.
6 April 2022
The US, UK and EU unveil new sanctions against
Moscow. US sanctions target Russian banks and
elites, and include a ban on any American from
investing in Russia as well as sanctions on Putin’s
adult daughters. The UK will impose an asset freeze
on Russia’s largest bank, place sanctions on eight
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
59
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
more oligarchs and end imports of oil and coal by
next year. The EU announces a wide-ranging
package of sanctions, including import bans on coal
and transaction bans on banks.
President Zelenskyy says the new package of
international sanctions against Russia is “not
enough” and without more painful measures and
supplies of weapons, Russia will view the actions as
permission to launch a new attack.
7 April 2022 NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels to address
Russian President Putin’s “brutal and unprovoked
invasion of Ukraine”.
Following the meeting, G7 foreign ministers issue a
joint statement to condemn “in the strongest terms”
the atrocities committed by Russian troops in Bucha
and a number of other Ukrainian towns.
The UN General Assembly votes to suspend Russia’s
membership in the UN Human Rights Council. The
resolution receives a two-thirds majority, minus
abstentions, with 93 nations voting in favour and 24
against. 58 nations abstained.
8 April 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits President
Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss further military and
economic assistance. This includes new military
assistance of 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-
ship missile systems, with further economic support
in the form of an additional $500m (£385m) in World
Bank lending to Ukraine, taking the UK’s total loan
guarantee to up to $1 billion.
European Commission’s President Ursula von der
Leyen pledges to offer Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy
a speedier start to his country’s bid to become a
member of the EU. At a joint press conference with
Zelenskyy, von der Leyen says: “It will not as usual be
a matter of years to form this opinion but I think a
matter of weeks.”
9 April 2022 Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister
for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, says her
country is “ready to move fast” with its application to
become a member of the European Union.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
60
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
11 April 2022 Speaking in an interview with Russian state
television, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
says Moscow will not pause its military operation in
Ukraine before the next round of peace talks.
Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer, holds “direct,
open and hard” talks with President Putin in Moscow.
13 April 2022 The Foreign Secretary announces new sanctions to be
imposed on 178 Russian separatists in breakaway
regions of Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden announces an additional
$800m in military assistance to Ukraine, including
heavy artillery ahead of a wider Russian assault
expected in eastern Ukraine.
14 April 2022 Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's
Security Council, says that should Sweden and
Finland join NATO then Russia will have to strengthen
its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea.
Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney meets
Ukrainian officials in Kyiv and states: “Even though
Ireland is a militarily neutral country, let me be clear,
we are not neutral on this war. We are also not
neutral on the future of your country.”
16 April 2022
Russia’s foreign ministry bans Boris Johnson, Liz
Truss, Ben Wallace and 10 other British government
members from entering the country. The ministry
says the move was taken “in view of the
unprecedented hostile action by the UK government.
18 April 2022 President Zelenskyy says Ukraine hopes to receive
candidate country status to join the EU within weeks.
During a meeting in Kyiv with the EU’s envoy to
Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, Zelenskyy says:
“We strongly believe that this procedure (granting
of candidate status) will take place in the coming
weeks and that it will be positive for the history of
our people, given the price they paid on the path
to independence and democracy.”
A senior US defence department official reveals there
are now 76 Russian battalion tactical groups in the
Donbas region of Ukraine and in the country’s
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
61
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
southeast, with 11 of those added over the last
several days.
19 April 2022 In remarks at a UN Security Council briefing on
Ukraine, China criticises Western actions, saying the
provision of offensive weapons to Kyiv “will only
prolong and escalate the conflict” and that some
sanctions are “tantamount to weaponising economic
interdependence”
20 April 2022 Figures by the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) show
the number of Ukrainians who have fled abroad since
Russia invaded on 24 February is now 5,010,971.
Finance ministers from the UK, US, Canada and
France walk out of a G20 meeting as the Russian
delegate speaks. The UK’s Chancellor of the
Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, says the walkout was a
coordinated protest, tweeting:
“Earlier my representatives, along with US &
Canadian counterparts left today’s G20 meeting in
Washington as Russian delegates spoke.
We are united in our condemnation of Russia’s war
against Ukraine and will push for stronger
international coordination to punish Russia.”
21 April 2022 The parliaments of both Estonia and Latvia recognise
Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “genocide”.
In its statement the Latvian parliament cites
“evidence of mass brutal crimes committed by the
army of the Russian Federation, including the
murder, torture, sexual abuse and desecration of
Ukrainian civilians, including women and children, in
Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol and elsewhere.”
Estonia's parliament, meanwhile, cites “murders,
enforced disappearances, deportations,
imprisonment, torture, rape, and desecration of
corpses.”
22 April 2022 Following its temporary closure, the UK government
announces the British Embassy in Kyiv will reopen in
the following week.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reveals dozens of
Ukrainian soldiers are training in the UK, learning
how to use 120 British armoured vehicles before
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
62
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
returning with them to fight in the war against
Russia.
23 April 2022 In a telephone call, the Prime Minister and President
Zelenskyy agree on the importance of establishing a
ceasefire and humanitarian corridor to allow civilians
to leave Mariupol, and discuss the development of a
long-term security solution for Ukraine.
25 April 2022 Sweden and Finland agree to submit applications to
join NATO at the same time. Both countries will
announce their applications in the week commencing
16 May, during Finnish president Sauli Niinistö’s visit
to Stockholm.
26 April 2022
Officials from more than 40 countries meet at
Germany’s Ramstein airbase, for US-hosted talks
focusing on how to arm Kyiv against a Russian
onslaught in eastern Ukraine.
27 April 2022 Russia’s foreign ministry announces sanctions on 287
members of the House of Commons. In a statement,
the ministry says the decision to introduce
restrictions was taken in response to Britain’s
decision on 11 March to sanction 386 members of the
Russian state Duma.
28 April 2022 The UN Secretary-General describes the war in
Ukraine as “an absurdity” in the 21st century, on a
visit to the scene of civilian killings outside Kyiv.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
calls for the creation “urgently” of a special tribunal
to investigate and prosecute the crime of aggression,
allegedly committed by the political and military
leadership of Russia in Ukraine.
The UN Secretary General has criticised his own
organisation’s Security Council while on visit to Kyiv.
3 May 2022 The Prime Minister addresses Ukraine’s Parliament
via videolink, saying this is Ukraine’s ‘finest hour’ and
announcing a new £300m package of defensive
military aid for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passes a
law that bans political parties who justify, recognise
or deny Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
63
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
6 May 2022 The UN Security Council issues its first statement on
the war in Ukraine, but withholds from using the
words “war”, “conflict” or “invasion”.
The statement instead “expresses deep concern
regarding the maintenance of peace and security of
Ukraine” and voices “strong support” for Secretary-
General Antonio Guterres in seeking a peaceful
solution to the “dispute”.
At the Security Council meeting, the UK condemns
Russia’s continued aggression towards Ukraine.
8 May 2022 US First Lady Jill Biden makes an unannounced visit
to western Ukraine to visit her Ukrainian counterpart,
Olena Zelenska to show US support on Mother’s Day.
Meanwhile the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin
Trudeau, also makes an unannounced trip to
Ukraine, visiting the town of Irpin.
9 May 2022 Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg,
France’s President Macron says Ukraine’s bid to join
the EU will “take several years indeed, probably
several decades”.
In a national address in the evening, Ukraine’s
President Zelenskyy confirms he submitted the
second part of a formal questionnaire to obtain
candidacy for membership in the EU during a video
call with European Commission President Ursula von
der Leyen.
10 May 2022 The UN’s migration agency says more than 8 million
people had been internally displaced in Ukraine since
the Russian invasion began on 24 February.
The figures, published in a report by the International
Organisation for Migration (IOM), represent a 24%
increase compared with the first internal
displacement figures published on 16 March.
The Belarusian Chief of General Staff, Viktor Gulevich,
announces his forces will deploy special operations
troops in three areas near its southern border with
Ukraine in response to a “growing threat” by the US
and its allies.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
64
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
11 May 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson travels to Sweden and
Finland during a 24-hour trip to discuss the Nordic
countries’ ambitions to apply for NATO membership.
12 May 2022 Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister
Sanna Marin endorse their country’s application to
join NATO and say “Finland must apply for NATO
membership without delay”.
In response, Russia’s Foreign Ministry warns:
“Finland joining NATO is a radical change in the
country’s foreign policy.
Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both
of a military-technical and other nature, in order
to stop threats to its national security arising.”
The UN’s human rights council passes a resolution to
investigate alleged abuses by Russian troops in parts
of Ukraine formerly under their control, with a view to
holding those responsible to account.
More than 50 countries back Kyiv’s request for a
special session of the council to examine “the
deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine
stemming from the Russian aggression”.
The resolution passes by a strong majority, with 33
members voting in favour and two – China and
Eritrea – against. There were 12 abstentions.
13 May 2022 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president, casts
doubt on Finnish and Swedish membership of NATO,
saying he does not have a positive opinion of the two
Nordic nations joining the military alliance, adding
“We don’t want to commit a mistake. Scandinavian
countries are like guesthouses for terrorist
organisations. To go even further, they have seats in
their parliaments too.”
16 May 2022 The Swedish government confirms it intends to apply
for membership of NATO, joining neighbouring
Finland.
17 May 2022
Finland’s parliament overwhelmingly approves a
proposal to apply for NATO membership. Of the 200
members of the legislature, 188 vote in favour and
eight against the application.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
65
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
25 May 2022 Members of the Russian State Duma vote to approve
a new law that will eliminate age limits for military
contract soldiers. According to the bill, men up to
age 65 will now be eligible to serve in the army. The
new limit also applies to foreign nationals wishing to
serve in the army.
President Putin signs a decree simplifying the process
for residents of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Kherson
and Zaporizhzhia regions to acquire Russian
citizenship and passports.
27 May 2022 Russia blames Ukraine for the stalling of peace talks
between the two countries, claiming Ukraine’s
President Zelenskyy “constantly makes contradictory
statements”.
30 May 2022 The European Council says it is ready to grant
Ukraine €9bn to aid its post-war reconstruction.
European Council President Charles Michel said the
Council will “continue helping Ukraine with its
immediate liquidity needs, together with G7”.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
66
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
5 Current conflict: June-August 2022
Key events
7 June 2022:
Russia’s parliament passes a pair of bills
ending the ECHR’s jurisdiction in the country.
16 June 2022: The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and
Romania visit Kyiv, vowing to support Ukraine’s bid to join
the EU.
17 June 2022: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a
surprise visit to Kyiv to meet Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy.
23 June 2022: The EU approves the application of Ukraine to
become a candidate country.
5 July 2022: The 30 NATO member states sign accession
protocols for Finland and Sweden, sending the membership
bids of the two Nordic countries to allied parliaments for
approval.
2 June 2022 In a video address to the Luxembourg parliament,
President Zelenskyy reveals Russian forces currently
occupy about 20% of Ukraine’s territory.
Ukrainian officials embark on a diplomatic push to
start the country’s journey towards EU membership,
as a number of member states express doubts about
a fast-track approach.
3 June 2022 Marking “100 days of Putin’s war”, Foreign Secretary
Liz Truss says the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine
will never waver.
7 June 2022
Russia's parliament passes a pair of bills ending the
European Court of Human Rights’ jurisdiction in the
country. The first bill removes Russia from the court’s
jurisdiction and the second sets 15 March as the cut-
off point, with rulings against Russia made after that
date not to be implemented.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
67
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
9 June 2022 The UK government says it is “deeply concerned”
over the death sentences handed to the Britons Aiden
Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who were captured while
fighting for Ukraine.
11 June 2022
A United Nations commission arrives in Ukraine to
investigate war crimes. Deputy Speaker of Ukraine’s
Parliament, Olena Kondratyuk, says the
commission’s goal is to record war crimes and
human rights violations.
14 June 2022 Russia bans dozens of British journalists, media
representatives and defence industry figures from
entering the country. In a statement, Russia’s Foreign
Ministry says this is in response to western sanctions
and pressure on its state-run media outlets abroad.
16 June 2022 The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania
vow to support Ukraine’s bid to join the EU on a visit
to Kyiv intended as a show of unity in the face of
Russian advances and complaints from the
Ukrainians about the pace of weapons supplies.
17 June 2022 The European Union's executive commission
recommends Ukraine and its neighbour Moldova be
designated candidates for membership of the bloc.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a surprise
visit to Kyiv to meet Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy
and later holds a press conference.
20 June 2022
In an address to the African Union, President
Zelenskyy calls Africa a “hostage” to Russia’s war in
his country, which has led to global food shortages
and famine fears across the African continent.
23 June 2022 The EU approves the application of Ukraine to
become a candidate country following the earlier
recommendation of the European Commission on 17
June.
27 June 2022
Leaders of the G7 pledge to stand with Ukraine “for
as long as it takes” by ramping up sanctions on
Russia and backing security commitments for Kyiv in
a post-war settlement.
In a telephone call, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin
and his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro, discuss
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
68
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
global food security and confirm their intention to
strengthen their strategic partnership.
28 June 2022 Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in
Madrid, the alliance’s Secretary-General, Jens
Stoltenberg, says he does not see China as an
adversary, but notes NATO is concerned about
Beijing’s ever closer ties with Moscow.
29 June 2022
Syria became the first nation other than Russia to
formally recognise the two separatist republics in
eastern Ukraine.
In response, President Zelenskyy announces the end
of diplomatic ties between Ukraine and Syria, adding
the sanctions pressure against Syria “will be even
greater”.
30 June 2022
At the NATO Leaders’ Summit, the Prime Minister
announces a further £1 billion package of military
support to Ukraine. This brings the total of UK
military and economic support to £3.8 billion this
year.
1 July 2022 In a speech via video link to Ukraine’s parliament, the
President of the European Commission tells Kyiv
there is “a long road ahead” for its bid to become an
EU member state, but that “Europe will be at your
side every step of the way”.
4 July 2022 Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal puts a
$750bn (£620bn) price tag on the recovery of his
country at the Ukraine Recovery Conference hosted
by Switzerland.
Shmyhal also tells the conference Ukraine has so far
suffered more than $100bn of direct damage to its
infrastructure.
5 July 2022 In a written statement, the UK Defence Secretary Ben
Wallace says the first rotation of Ukrainian soldiers
has arrived in the UK for training; part of a £2.3bn
military aid package that includes a programme to
train up to 10,000 new Ukrainian recruits.
The 30 NATO member states sign accession protocols
for Finland and Sweden, sending the membership
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
69
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
bids of the two Nordic countries to allied parliaments
for approval.
The protocol means Finland and Sweden can join in
NATO meetings and have greater access to
intelligence but will not be protected by an alliance
defence clause – that an attack on one ally is an
attack against all – until ratification.
6 July 2022 Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister, Ma Zhaoxu, tells the
Russian Ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, that
Beijing is willing to deepen cooperation with Russia
within multilateral frameworks including the G20.
7 July 2022 In his resignation speech outside Downing Street,
Boris Johnson says he is “immensely proud” of the
achievements of his government, including “leading
the West in standing up to Putin’s aggression in
Ukraine”, adding:
“And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that
I know that we in the UK will continue to back your
fight for freedom for as long as it takes.”
Johnson remains Prime Minister until a successor is
appointed.
In a statement released after the two leaders speak
by telephone, Zelenskyy thanks Johnson for
defending Ukraine’s interests after Russia’s invasion:
“We all heard this news with sadness. Not only me,
but also the entire Ukrainian society, which is very
sympathetic to yo… We have no doubt that Great
Britain’s support will be preserved, but your
personal leadership and charisma made it
special.”
13 July 2022 North Korea officially recognises the self-proclaimed
Donetsk People’s Republic and the self-proclaimed
Luhansk People’s Republic, the pro-Russian occupied
territories in the east of Ukraine. The move makes
North Korea only the third UN member state to
recognise them as legitimate authorities, after
Russia and Syria.
In response, Ukraine’s foreign ministry announces it
has cut ties with the North Korea, saying:
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
70
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
“We consider this decision as an attempt by
Pyongyang to undermine the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
14 July 2022
Addressing a conference at The Hague focused on
war crimes in Ukraine, President Zelenskyy urges
European and International Criminal Court officials
to open a “special tribunal” to investigate Russia’s
invasion of his country.
15 July 2022 The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
summons the Russian Ambassador, Andrey Kelin, to
express the UK’s concern over reports of the death of
a British aid worker in the non-government controlled
areas of Ukraine. In a statement, Foreign Secretary
Liz Truss says:
“I am shocked to hear reports of the death of
British aid worker Paul Urey while in the custody of
a Russian proxy in Ukraine. Russia must bear the
full responsibility for this.”
19 July 2022 Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former President who is
now Deputy Head of its Security Council says peace
in Ukraine, when it comes, will be on Moscow’s terms
and that Russia is on course to seize more parts of
Ukraine, saying: “Russia will achieve all its goals.
There will be peace – on our terms.”.
Attending his first major summit outside of Russia
since the invasion of Ukraine, President Putin wins the
endorsement of the Iranian Supreme Leader, with
Khamenei telling Putin:
“War is a harsh and difficult issue, and Iran is not
at all pleased that ordinary people suffer from it,
but in the case of Ukraine if you had not taken the
initiative, the other side would have caused the
war with its own initiative.
If the road is open to Nato, it knows no boundaries
and if it was not stopped in Ukraine they would
start the same war some time later under the
pretext of Crimea.”
1 August 2022 Russia bans 39 senior British politicians,
businesspeople and journalists from entering the
country, including the Labour Party leader, Sir Keir
Starmer, and former prime minister David Cameron.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
71
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
9 August 2022 The United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR,
reveals more than 10.5 million people have crossed
the border from Ukraine since Russia’s invasion
began on 24 February.
US President Biden signs the documents of
ratification to formally back Finland and Sweden in
joining the NATO alliance, saying:
“In seeking to join NATO, Finland and Sweden are
making a sacred commitment that an attack
against one is an attack against all.”
15 August 2022 President Putin tells North Korean leader Kim Jong
Un the two countries will “expand the comprehensive
and constructive bilateral relations with common
efforts”.
Kim notes the “strategic and tactical cooperation,
support and solidarity” between the two countries
has reached a new level in their common efforts to
frustrate threats and provocations from hostile
military forces.
Putin also says
Moscow values its ties with countries
in Latin American, Asia and Africa and is ready to
offer modern weapons to its allies.
23 August 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson urges world leaders not
to allow President Putin to repeat the annexation of
Crimea in other parts of Ukraine.
In a remote address to the Crimea Platform
conference, Johnson says the UK will continue to
support Ukraine with military, humanitarian,
economic and diplomatic support until Russia “ends
this hideous war and withdraws its forces from the
entirety of Ukraine”.
24 August 2022
The UK Prime Minister visits Ukraine to announce
further military support, noting: “What happens in
Ukraine matters to us all. That is why I am in Kyiv
today.”
The latest £54m support package includes unmanned
surveillance and missile systems for the Ukrainian
military.
27 August 2022 Russia blocks an agreement at the UN that is aimed
at bolstering the nuclear non-proliferation treaty
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
72
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
(NPT) because Moscow objects to a clause about
control over the Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine.
The failure to agree to a joint statement after four
weeks of debate and negotiation among 151 countries
at the UN is the latest blow to hopes of maintaining
an arms control regime.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
73
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
6 Current conflict: September-November
2022
Key events
6 September 2022: Liz Truss replaces Boris Johnson as UK
Prime Minister.
21 September 2022: President Zelenskyy speaks virtually to
the UN General Assembly in New York, saying the world
wants peace.
30 September 2022: President Putin signs “accession
treaties” formalising Russia’s illegal annexation of four
occupied regions in Ukraine.
Russia later vetoes a Western bid at the UN Security Council
to condemn its annexations of Ukrainian territory.
5 October 2022: President Putin signs the laws to formally
absorb four Ukrainian regions into Russia.
19 October 2022: Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov,
says Russia no longer sees a need to maintain a diplomatic
presence in the West.
25 October 2022: Rishi Sunak replaces Liz Truss as UK Prime
Minister.
5 November 2022: Iran acknowledges for the first time that
it has supplied Moscow with drones.
10 November 2022: New data reveals the full effect of UK
sanctions on Russia, with £18.39 billion of Russian assets
sanctioned.
23 November 2022: The European Parliament votes to
designate Russia a “state sponsor of terrorism”.
4 September 2022
In a sign of easing tensions between Berlin and Kyiv,
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanks
Germany for its solidarity in the face of the Russian
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
74
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
invasion and calls for more weapons, in a visit to
Berlin to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
6 September 2022 Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, criticises the
UK’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and says the UK
will not strengthen its position in the international
arena under her leadership.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Lavrov
says Truss tried to “defend Britain’s interests without
taking into account the positions of others in any way
and without any attempt to compromise”.
7 September 2022
Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks to her Ukrainian
counterpart President Zelenskyy to pledge her “full
backing” for Ukraine. A statement released by 10
Downing St notes:
“In her first call with a counterpart since becoming
prime minister, she reiterated to the Ukrainian
leader that he had her full backing, and Ukraine
could depend on the UK’s assistance for the long
term.
The leaders discussed the need to strengthen
global security and the measures necessary to cut
off the funds fuelling Putin’s war machine.”
13 September 2022 A newly declassified cable released by the US State
Department reveals Russia has covertly spent more
than $300m since 2014 to try to influence politicians
and other officials in more than two dozen countries.
14 September 2022 European Commission President, Ursula von der
Leyen, says Western sanctions on Russia are having
a real impact and are here to stay, stressing the EU’s
solidarity with Ukraine remains “unshakeable”.
With the Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, as
guest of honour Von der Leyen delivers her annual
state of the union speech, telling the European
Parliament:
“Never before has this parliament debated the
state of our union with war raging on European
soil.
And I stand here with the conviction that with
courage and solidarity, Putin will fail and Europe
will prevail,” Von der Leyen said, adding: “Europe’s
solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakeable.”
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
75
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Following a telephone conversation with President
Putin, the UN Secretary-General says the prospects
for peace in Ukraine are currently “minimal”.
Antonio Guterres says he and Putin discussed efforts
to overcome “obstacles”, but stresses: “I have the
feeling we are still far away from peace. I would be
lying if I would say it could happen soon.”
16 September 2022 The UN food chief says the world is facing “a global
emergency of unprecedented magnitude,” with up to
345 million people at risk of starvation and 70 million
pushed closer to starvation by the war in Ukraine.
18 September 2022 The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, pays her
respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state
at Westminster Hall, before attending a reception
with the Princess of Wales at Buckingham Palace.
21 September 2022 President Zelenskyy speaks virtually to the UN
General Assembly in New York, saying:
“Ukraine wants peace. Europe wants peace. The
world wants peace. And we have seen who is the
only one who wants war. There is only one entity
among all UN member states who would say now if
he could interrupt my speech that he is happy with
this war, with his war.”
22 September 2022 In a special Foreign Minister-level UN Security
Council meeting on Ukraine, James Cleverly
reiterates the UK’s full and unwavering commitment
to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity.
Russia’s Foreign Minister briefly attends the meeting
to give his speech, before promptly walking out.
24 September 2022 Iran’s ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, warns
Ukraine to “refrain from being influenced by third
parties who seek to destroy relations between the
two countries”.
The statement comes after Ukraine downgraded
diplomatic ties with Iran on and stripped its
ambassador of his accreditation over what it called
Tehran’s “unfriendly” decision to supply Russian
forces with drones.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
76
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
25 September 2022 Sergei Lavrov says the four regions of Ukraine where
widely-criticised referendums are being held will be
under Moscow’s “full protection” if they are annexed.
At a news conference following his speech to the UN
General Assembly in New York, Lavrov is asked
whether Russia would have grounds for using nuclear
weapons to defend annexed regions of Ukraine. He
says Russian territory – including territory “further
enshrined” in Russia’s constitution in the future – “is
under the full protection of the state”.
27 September 2022 The US Embassy in Moscow issues a security alert
and urges American citizens to leave Russia
immediately.
In a statement on its website the US Embassy warns
that dual Russian-US nationals may be called up as
part of the Russian government’s mobilisation in
support of its invasion of Ukraine, noting:
“Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’
U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular
assistance, prevent their departure from Russia,
and conscript dual nationals for military service.”
28 September 2022
Prime Minister Liz Truss tells President Zelenskyy in a
phone call that the UK will never recognise Russian
attempts to annex parts of Ukraine.
A statement issued by 10 Downing St reads:
“The prime minister spoke to President Zelenskyy
this afternoon to underline the UK’s steadfast
support in light of Russia’s sham referendums in
Ukraine.
The prime minister made clear that the UK would
never recognise Russian attempts to annexe
sovereign territory. She reiterated that Ukraine
could depend on the UK’s support until President
Putin was defeated.
President Zelensky updated the prime minister on
the current military situation and welcomed her
strong backing, including at the UN general
assembly last week.”
30 September 2022 President Putin signs “accession treaties” formalising
Russia’s illegal annexation of four occupied regions
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
77
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
in Ukraine, marking the largest forcible takeover of
territory in Europe since the second world war.
Hours later, President Zelenskyy announces Ukraine
is officially applying for membership of NATO.
In the evening, Russia vetoes a Western bid at the UN
Security Council to condemn its annexations of
Ukrainian territory, specifically the regions of
Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
The draft resolution, circulated by the US and
Albania, was supported by ten of the fifteen members
of the Security Council. Russia voting against it, with
four members abstaining: Brazil, China, Gabon and
India.
Speaking afterwards, the UK’s Ambassador
condemned Russia for using its veto to block the
resolution.
2 October 2022
The presidents of nine NATO countries in central and
eastern Europe declare they will never recognise the
annexation by Russia of Ukrainian territory.
The statement – issued by the presidents of the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro,
North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia –
says they could not “stay silent in the face of the
blatant violation of international law by the Russian
Federation” and that “We reiterate our support for
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
5 October 2022 President Putin signs the laws to formally absorb four
Ukrainian regions into Russia. Russia’s State Duma,
the lower house of parliament, announces: “Russian
President Vladimir Putin has signed four federal
constitutional laws on the entry of the Donetsk and
Luhansk People’s Republics, Zaporizhzhia and
Kherson regions into the Russian Federation. He also
signed the relevant laws on ratification.”
10 October 2022
At a UN General Assembly Emergency Special
Session on Ukraine, the UK Ambassador urges UN
member states “to condemn the largest forcible
annexation attempt since the Second World War”.
11 October 2022 G7 leaders hold a meeting “to reiterate the unity of
opposition to Putin’s continued brutality in Ukraine”.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
78
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
At the G7 meeting, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy
calls for an international monitoring mission on the
Ukraine-Belarus border, saying:
“Russia is trying to directly draw Belarus into this
war, playing a provocation that we are allegedly
preparing an attack on this country.”
In a statement issued following the summit, the
leaders of the G7 vow to hold President Vladimir Putin
and those responsible for the attacks on Ukraine to
account. They also say they will “never recognise”
Russia’s “illegal annexation” of Ukrainian territory or
“the sham referenda that Russia uses to justify it”.
12 October 2022 The UN General Assembly passes a resolution calling
on member states not to recognise the four Ukrainian
regions claimed by Russia and to demand Moscow
reverses course on its “attempted illegal
annexation”.
143 UN member states vote in favour of the
resolution, with five against: Russia, Syria,
Nicaragua, North Korea and Belarus. Thirty-five
countries abstain, including Russia’s strategic
partner China, together with India, South Africa and
Pakistan. The rest did not vote.
18 October 2022 Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba,
announces he is submitting a proposal to President
Zelenskyy to cut diplomatic ties with Iran.
Kuleba also said Kyiv will send an official note to
Israel seeking immediate air defence supplies and
cooperation in the sector.
19 October 2022 Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, says Russia
no longer sees a need to maintain a diplomatic
presence in the West according to the Russian news
agency TASS, who quotes him as saying:
“There is neither point nor desire to maintain the
previous presence in Western states. Our people
work there in conditions that can hardly be called
human. Problems are being created constantly for
them; they face threats of physical assaults. And,
most importantly, there’s no work to do since
Europe decided to shut off from us and sever any
economic cooperation. You can’t force love.”
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
79
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
23 October 2022 UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace speaks to his
Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, in a rare
telephone call initiated at the request of the
Russians.
In the call, Wallace refutes claims that Ukraine,
facilitated by Western counties including the UK,
were planning to escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
24 October 2022 Russia’s Military Chief of General Staff Valery
Gerasimov speaks to the UK’s Chief of Defence Staff
Tony Radakin and the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs
of Staff Mark Milley.
The Russian defence ministry says Gerasimov and his
British counterpart discussed the possibility, raised
by Moscow without any evidence, that Ukraine might
use a “dirty bomb”. The claims are categorically
rejected by Radakin.
25 October 2022 Hours after becoming the UK Prime Minister, Rishi
Sunak speaks to US President Joe Biden and they
agree to work together to support Ukraine.
27 October 2022 President Putin gives a speech to a meeting of the
Valdai discussion forum in Moscow, a thinktank with
close links to the Kremlin, generally considered to be
part of Moscow’s propaganda machine.
In his speech, Putin accuses “Western elites” of
playing a “dangerous, bloody and dirty game” and
blames them for much of the world’s trouble,
including his own invasion of Ukraine.
3 November 2022 In an interview with Sky News, Andrei Kelin, the
Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom, warns
that that the UK is in “too deep” in the war in
Ukraine, claiming he has proof that UK special forces
have been involved in a Ukrainian drone attack on
Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
5 November 2022 Iran acknowledges for the first time that it has
supplied Moscow with drones, but says the drones
were sent before the war in Ukraine.
8 November 2022
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirms
communication channels between Washington and
Moscow remain open.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
80
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Speaking at an event at the Economic Club of New
York, Sullivan says it is “in the interests” of the US
and every country affected by the war in Ukraine to
maintain contact with the Kremlin.
10 November 2022
New data reveals the full effect of UK sanctions on
Russia, with £18.39 billion of Russian assets frozen
and reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions
Implementation (OFSI).
13 November 2022 US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says some
sanctions on Russia could remain in place after any
peace agreement with Ukraine.
Yellen says any eventual peace agreement will
involve a review of the penalties the US and its allies
have imposed on Russia’s economy.
In an interview while attending the G20 summit in
Indonesia, Yellen says:
“I suppose in the context of some peace
agreement, adjustment of sanctions is possible
and could be appropriate.”
14 November 2022 The EU and its member states have so far provided
weapons and military equipment worth a total of at
least €8bn (£7bn) to Ukraine, according to the bloc’s
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with his EU
counterparts in Brussels, he said this was about 45%
of what the US has supplied to Kyiv.
The United Nations General Assembly calls for Russia
to make reparations to Ukraine and be held
accountable for its conduct.
The resolution, supported by 94 of the Assembly’s 193
members, says Russia “must bear the legal
consequences of all of its internationally wrongful
acts, including making reparation for the injury,
including any damage, caused by such acts.”
15 November 2022 In his address to world leaders gathered for the G20
summit in Indonesia, President Zelenskyy outlines a
series of conditions needed to end the war Ukraine.
Speaking virtually from Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Russia must reaffirm the territorial integrity of
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
81
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Ukraine, withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory
and pay compensation for damage caused.
Zelenskyy also calls for an international conference
to “cement key element of the postwar security
architecture” and prevent a recurrence of “Russian
aggression”.
Throughout his speech Zelenskyy thanks the “G19”,
thus excluding Russia.
Russia’s President Putin was not in the room, but his
foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was in attendance.
Meanwhile, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) says
both
Russia and Ukraine have tortured prisoners of
war during the conflict, citing examples including the
use of electric shocks and forced nudity.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he has spoken to
Polish President Andrzej Duda following reports of a
missile strike in Poland, and affirms “the UK's
solidarity with Poland.”
16 November 2022 Poland’s President Duda says the missile that landed
in his country and killed two appears to be an
“unfortunate accident” and there is no evidence it
was launched by Russia, adding It is “highly probably
that it was fired by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defence”
and “unfortunately fell into Polish territory.”
Following an emergency meeting on the margins of
the G20 Summit in Indonesia, NATO and G7 leaders
condemn Russia’s “barbaric missile attacks” on
Ukraine.
The leaders of Canada, the EU, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and the
US release the following statement:
“We condemn the barbaric missile attacks that
Russia perpetrated on Ukrainian cities and civilian
infrastructure on Tuesday.
We discussed the explosion that took place in the
eastern part of Poland near the border with
Ukraine. We offer our full support for and
assistance with Poland’s ongoing investigation. We
agree to remain in close touch to determine
appropriate next steps as the investigation
proceeds.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
82
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
We reaffirm our steadfast support for Ukraine and
the Ukrainian people in the face of ongoing
Russian aggression, as well as our continued
readiness to hold Russia accountable for its brazen
attacks on Ukrainian communities.”
19 November 2022 In his first visit to Kyiv, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
meets President Zelenskyy and confirms the UK will
provide a new package of air defence to help protect
Ukrainian civilians and critical national
infrastructure. The £50 million package comprises
125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter
deadly Iranian-supplied drones.
21 November 2022
In a video address to NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s
annual session in Madrid, President Zelenskyy
appeals to members to guarantee the protection of
his country’s nuclear power plants from “Russian
sabotage”.
Zelenskyy also calls for new EU sanctions against
Russia over what he said was its “policy of genocide”
as its forces bomb civilian infrastructure.
23 November 2022 The European Parliament votes to designate Russia a
“state sponsor of terrorism”.
In a largely symbolic vote, MEPs argue Russia’s
military strikes on civilian targets such as energy
infrastructure, hospitals, schools and shelters violate
international law.
28 November 2022 The foreign ministers of Estonia, Finland, Iceland,
Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden visit Kyiv to
show their support for Ukraine.
UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, meets
Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska during her visit to
London to discuss the prevention of sexual violence in
conflicts. The Foreign Secretary affirms: “The UK
stands with Ukraine, and with all survivors of these
despicable crimes.”
29 November 2022 In Westminster, Mrs Zelenska addresses MPs and
peers and echoes Churchill’s words when speaking
about air raid sirens in Ukraine:
“We’re hearing sirens every day. They are identical
to those which were heard by British generations.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
83
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
You did not surrender and we will not surrender.
But victory is not the only thing we need. We need
justice. I come to you for justice.”
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
84
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
7 Current conflict: December 2022 -
present
Key events
8 December 2022: President Putin admits Russia’s war in
Ukraine could turn into a “long-term process”.
19 December 2022: President Putin discusses closer military
cooperation with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander
Lukashenko, during a rare visit to the country.
26 December 2022: Ukraine calls for Russia to be removed
as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
14 January 2023: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirms the UK
is planning to provide Ukraine with a small number of
Challenger 2 tanks.
30 January 2023: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says
Turkey could accept Finland into NATO without its Nordic
neighbour Sweden.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, says he wants the
country to join the EU within two years.
17 February 2023: World leaders gather in Germany for the
Munich security conference, to discuss Europe’s security
situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
20 February 2023: President Biden visits the Ukrainian
capital, Kyiv, to meet President Zelenskyy.
21 February 2023: President Putin announces Russia will
suspend the New START bilateral nuclear treaty with the US.
22 February 2023: President Putin revokes a 2012 decree
that in part underpins Moldova's sovereignty.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, meets President Putin in
Moscow, as they reaffirm their close bilateral relationship.
23 February 2023: The UN General Assembly adopts a
resolution calling for the ending of the war in Ukraine.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
85
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
2 December 2022 Finland’s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, calls for
Europe to build its own defence capabilities in the
wake of the war in Ukraine, so as to have resilience
without US support:
“We should make sure that we are stronger. And
I’ll be brutally honest with you, Europe isn’t strong
enough. We would be in trouble without the United
States.”
3 December 2022 The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba,
accuses Russia of orchestrating a series of letters
containing explosives or animal parts that were sent
to 17 Ukrainian embassies or diplomatic missions
around the world in recent days.
8 December 2022 Speaking to members of his personal human rights
council, President Putin admits Russia’s war in
Ukraine could turn into a “long-term process”.
10 December 2022 In an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, the
head of NATO expresses concerns that the fighting in
Ukraine could spin out of control and become a war
between Russia and NATO:
“If things go wrong, they can go horribly wrong. It
is a terrible war in Ukraine. It is also a war that can
become a full-fledged war that spreads into a
major war between NATO and Russia. We are
working on that every day to avoid that.”
11 December 2022 The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, calls for
more work on European security and defence, urging
the region to “spend better and cooperate more”.
In a statement published late in the evening, Borrell
says:
“This war has also been a wake-up call for all of us
about our military capabilities. We have given
weapons to Ukraine, but in so doing, we realised
that our military stockpiles have been depleted.
With conventional war returning to the heart of
Europe, we also realised that we are lacking
critical defence capabilities, to be able to protect
ourselves from a higher level of threats on the
European continent itself.”
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
86
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
12 December 2022 The EU agrees an additional €2bn in support to a
fund used to supply Ukraine with weapons.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels signed off
the money for the “European Peace Facility”, a fund
that has been largely used to reimburse member
states for supplying Ukraine with weapons and non-
lethal military kit.
“This decision sends a clear political signal of the
EU’s enduring commitment to military support for
Ukraine and other partners alike,” the EU Council of
Ministers said in a statement.
G7 leaders, joined by President Zelenskyy, hold a
meeting and reaffirm their “unwavering support for –
and solidarity with – Ukraine in the face of ongoing
Russian war of aggression for as long as it takes”.
14 December 2022 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says it is in the
interest of Germany and Europe for the remaining
Balkan states to become EU member states and
welcomes the decision to grant Bosnia candidate
status.
Supporters of the EU’s eastward expansion argue the
bloc’s engagement with the western Balkans is vital
for protecting European security in the face of
Russian aggression. Croatia is currently the only
western Balkan state that has secured EU
membership and the process of joining can take
many years.
19 December 2022 Addressing a meeting in Latvia of leaders of
countries in the Joint Expeditionary Force, which
includes the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Zelenskyy
says:
“Russian aggression can and must fail. The task
now is to make sure it happens faster. I call upon
you to do everything to accelerate the defeat of
the occupiers.”
President Putin discusses closer military cooperation
with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander
Lukashenko, during a rare visit to the country, as
fears grow in Kyiv that Moscow is pushing its closest
ally to join a new ground offensive against Ukraine.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
87
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
21 December 2022 President Biden and President Zelenskyy hold
bilateral meetings at the White House in which
additional defence aid to Ukraine is discussed. Biden
announces a new $1.85 billion aid package which will
include a Patriot missile battery.
This is Zelenskyy’s first trip outside Ukraine since
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began 300 days ago.
In a later address to the US Congress, Zelenskyy
emphasises US aid will help Ukraine to secure a
victory that will make the world safer.
26 December 2022 Ukraine calls for Russia to be removed as a
permanent member of the UN Security Council,
arguing Moscow’s “illegitimate” presence in the UN
has been “marked by wars and seizures of other
countries’ territories”.
In a statement, the Ukrainian foreign ministry says:
“Ukraine calls on the member states of the UN ...
to deprive the Russian Federation of its status as a
permanent member of the UN security council and
to exclude it from the UN as a whole.”
29 December 2022 The Ukrainian ambassador to Belarus is summoned
to the foreign ministry in Minsk to receive a formal
protest amid a Ukrainian air defence missile straying
into Belarussian air space.
Belarus’ foreign ministry spokesperson Anatoly Glaz
views the incident as extremely serious, adding:
“We demanded that the Ukrainian side conduct a
thorough investigation ... [and] hold those
responsible to account and take comprehensive
measures to prevent the recurrence of such
incidents in the future.”
30 December 2022 Russia’s President Putin invites his Chinese
counterpart, Xi Jinping, to make a state visit to
Russia the following spring, as Moscow seeks to
deepen its ties with China amid growing international
isolation over the war in Ukraine. Speaking to Xi via a
videoconference, Putin says Russia’s ties with China
are the “best in history”.
31 December 2022 President Putin uses his New Year address to the
nation to accuse Western countries of aggression
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
88
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
and trying to use the conflict in Ukraine to undermine
Moscow.
Echoing his repeated contention that Moscow had no
choice but to send troops into Ukraine, Putin says:
“It was a year of difficult, necessary decisions, the
most important steps toward gaining full
sovereignty of Russia and powerful consolidation
of our society.”
11 January 2023 Speaking in a televised meeting with officials,
President Putin says the situation in the regions of
Ukraine that had been annexed by Russia Ukrainian
regions was “difficult in places”.
President Zelenskyy urges NATO to do more than just
promise Ukraine its door is open and that Ukraine
needs “powerful steps” as it tries to join the alliance.
Speaking in Lviv, Zelenskyy said:
“For today, just support for Ukraine from
colleagues in NATO and support in the form of
rhetoric about open doors is not enough for
Ukraine. Namely, not enough to motivate our state
... our soldiers.”
14 January 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirms the UK is
planning to provide Ukraine with a small number of
Challenger 2 tanks.
16 January 2023
In a statement to the House of Commons, Defence
Secretary Ben Wallace says the UK’s decision to send
Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine is a “calibrated
response to Russia’s growing aggression and
indiscriminate bombing”, adding “None of the
international support for Ukraine is an attack on
Russia, or NATO-orchestrated aggression, let alone a
proxy war.”
17 January 2023 Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in
Davos, Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin says
Finland is prepared to support Ukraine in its war with
Russia for “as long as needed”. This could be “One
year, two years, five years, 10 years, 15 years.”
In 2022 the Finnish government spent about €300m
on support to Ukraine, with €190m towards buying
defence equipment.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
89
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
18 January 2023 President Zelenskyy addresses the World Economic
Forum and urges world leaders to quickly supply
Ukraine’s army with heavy tanks. He reminds world
leaders that his country did not start the war,
adding:
“The supplying of Ukraine with air defence systems
must outpace Russia’s next missile attacks. The
restoration of security and peace in Ukraine must
outpace Russia’s attacks on security and peace in
other countries.”
25 January 2023 Germany confirms it will make 14 Leopard 2 tanks
available for Ukraine’s war effort.
US President Joe Biden also approves tanks being
made available to Ukraine, pledging 31 M1 Abrams in
a significant escalation in the US effort to counter
Russian aggression. Until now, the US has resisted
providing its own M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, citing
extensive and complex maintenance and logistical
challenges with the hi-tech vehicles.
26 January 2023 The US designates the Russian mercenary group
Wagner as a “significant transnational criminal
organisation”, imposing further sanctions on the
military contractor which has been aiding Moscow in
its invasion of Ukraine, according to the US
Department of the Treasury.
30 January 2023 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says for the
first time Ankara could accept Finland into NATO
without its Nordic neighbour Sweden. Erdoğan’s
televised comments come days after Turkey
suspended NATO accession talks with the two
countries.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urges
South Korea to increase military support to Ukraine,
suggesting it reconsider its policy of not exporting
weapons to countries in conflict.
Speaking at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies
in Seoul on Monday, Stoltenberg thanked South
Korea for its non-lethal aid to Ukraine but urged it to
do more as there is an “urgent need” for ammunition.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, tells
Politico he wants the country to join the EU within two
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
90
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
years, a tight timetable that the EU is likely to find
over-ambitious.
During Defence Questions in the House of Commons,
Ben Wallace says the 14 Challenger tanks the UK will
donate to Ukraine will arrive on the frontline in the
next few months: “It’ll be this side of the summer, or
May - it’ll be probably towards Easter time.”
The President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, criticises
Western countries for supplying Ukraine with heavy
tanks and other weapons, saying this “prolongs the
war”. He added “it is clear that Crimea will never
again be part of Ukraine.”
31 January 2023 Belarussian President Lukashenko, on a state visit to
Russian ally Zimbabwe, says his country is willing to
offer more assistance to Russia in its war against
Ukraine, although stressing Russia does not need
“any help” right now.
Western allies quash hopes from Kyiv that fighter jets
will soon be offered to help Ukraine’s war effort.
US President Biden, when asked at the White House
late if his country would provide F-16s, answered with
a simple “no”, with a Downing St spokesperson
saying the UK viewed the gifting of fighter jets as
impractical: “These are sophisticated pieces of
equipment. We do not think it is practical to send
those jets into Ukraine.”
1 February 2023 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warns
Russia and China’s growing relationship poses a
threat to both Asia and Europe. In a speech to Keio
University in Tokyo, Stoltenberg underlined the
importance of stronger cooperation, adding the war
in Ukraine demonstrated “security is not regional buy
global.”
2 February 2023 During a two-day visit to Kyiv with over a dozen
senior EU officials, European Commission president
Ursula von der Leyen announces an international
centre for the prosecution of crimes in Ukraine will be
set up in The Hague.
Von der Leyen said:
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
91
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
“It will coordinate the collection of evidence, it will
be embedded in the joint investigation team which
is supported by our agency Eurojust.”
The European Commission president also reiterated
the EU aims to have a tenth package of sanctions
against Russia in place by 24 February, the first
anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
The visit tied with EU pledges to double a military aid
programme for Ukraine by training an additional
15,000 soldiers as part of a series of announcements
aimed at showing the EU will “stand by Ukraine for
the long-haul”.
5 February 2023 The UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, in an
article in the Times of Malta, says helping to arm
Ukraine so it can defend itself against Russia is the
swiftest path to achieving peace:
“Like all authoritarian rulers, Putin responds only
to strength in his opponents. He rejected
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 10-point plan for peace last
December. That is why the UK and Ukraine’s
friends are doing all they can to bring Ukraine
success on the battlefield. And it’s why I’m
delighted that Germany and the US are joining the
UK in sending tanks to the Ukrainians. Giving the
Ukrainians the tools they need to finish the job is
the swiftest – indeed the only – path to peace.”
8 February 2023 President Zelenskyy visits the UK to meet the Prime
Minister, address Parliament, meet the King and visit
Ukrainian troops.
In his address to members of both the Commons and
the Lords in Westminster Hall, Zelenskyy appealed to
the UK to supply Ukraine with fighter jets, saying: “I
appeal to you and the world with simple and yet
most important words: Combat aircrafts – for
Ukraine! Wings – for freedom!”
9 February 2023 President Zelenskyy addresses the European
Parliament during an extraordinary plenary session
in Brussels.
Opening the session, European Parliament President
Roberta Metsola said to President Zelenskyy: “We
understand that you are fighting not only for your
values, but for ours.”
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
92
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Zelenskyy’s address was largely themed around
Ukraine’s hopes for future EU membership,
highlighting their shared values and history.
14 February 2023 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says it is
more important that Finland and Sweden’s
applications to join the alliance, seeking greater
security after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, were
ratified quickly than together.
Both countries applied to join NATO following
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and
their membership bids have been ratified by all allies
except Hungary and Turkey.
15 February 2023 Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson meets
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy on a visit to Kyiv.
Zelenskyy praised Sweden’s cooperation since the
Russian invasion of his country and they discussed
further military assistance and future Ukrainian
membership of the EU. President Zelenskyy noted:
“In the first half of this year, Sweden holds the
Presidency of the Council of the European Union,
so a significant part of our talks today was
devoted to pan-European issues. Together with the
Swedish Presidency, we must ensure everything
necessary to start negotiations on Ukraine's
membership in the European Union this year.”
At a press conference Kristersson does not rule out
sending Gripen fighter jets to aid Ukraine in its war
effort but cautions the West’s response has to be
coordinated. He says:
“We are not ruling anything out. But at the same
time, an international agreement is needed to take
further steps.”
16 February 2023 Norway’s parliament announces it will donate 75
billion kroner (£6.1bn) to Ukraine as part of a five-
year support package, making Norway one of the
world’s biggest donors to Kyiv. The money will be
split evenly between military and humanitarian
assistance over five years.
Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian President,
says he will order his troops to fight alongside Russia
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
93
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
if another country launches an attack against
Belarus.
17 February 2023 World leaders, military officers and diplomats gather
in Germany for the Munich security conference to
discuss Europe’s security situation following Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine. Some 40 heads of state and
government, as well as politicians and security
experts from almost 100 countries, will attend the
three-day conference.
French President Emmanuel Macron says there can
be no peace in Ukraine until Russia is defeated and
warned Europe had to be ready for a prolonged
conflict: “The hour of dialogue hasn’t come yet,
because Russia chose war. Russia chose to target
civilian infrastructure and commit war crimes.
Russia’s attack must fail.”
18 February 2023 In his speech to the Munich Security Conference, UK
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says now is the time to
“double down” on its support for Ukraine.
Sunak noted the West’s “collective efforts are making
a difference”, but that “with every day that passes,
Russia’s forces are inflicting yet more pain and
suffering”.
19 February 2023 In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della
Sera, President Zelenskyy accuses his French
counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, of wasting his time
considering peace talks with Russia. Responding to a
suggestion the conflict in Ukraine would have to be
settled by negotiations, Zelenskyy said:
“It will be a useless dialogue. In fact, Macron is
wasting his time. I have come to the conclusion
that we are not able to change the Russian
attitude.”
20 February 2023 President Biden visits the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to
meet President Zelenskyy and announces a new
package of additional US weapons supplies worth
$500m (£415m).
21 February 2023 China’s Foreign Minister accuses the US of shifting
blame for the Ukraine war on to China, in an
apparent pushback against warnings from
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
94
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
Washington that China is considering supplying
weapons to Russia.
Speaking at the launch of a Chinese government
paper on its global security initiative, Qin Gang says
China is “deeply concerned” about the war in Ukraine
escalating and possibly “spiralling out of control”.
President Putin gives a long televised national
address to the joint houses of the Russian
Parliament, in which he blames the West for starting
the war in Ukraine and announces Russia will
suspend the New START bilateral nuclear treaty with
the US.
NATO’s Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, says he
regrets Russia’s decision to suspend its participation
in the New START treaty and urges Moscow to
reconsider.
22 February 2023 President Putin revokes a 2012 decree that in part
underpins Moldova's sovereignty in resolving the
future of the Transdniestria region – a Moscow-
backed separatist region which borders Ukraine and
where Russia maintains troops.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, meets President Putin
in Moscow, as China and Russia reaffirm their close
bilateral relationship ahead of the one-year
anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In Poland, President Biden meets the leaders of the
Bucharest Nine (B9), a collection of nations on the
most eastern parts of the NATO alliance and closest
to Russia. The alliance includes Bulgaria, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
23 February 2023 In an address to mark the “Defender of the
Fatherland” holiday, President Putin says Russia will
deploy its new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic
missile, nicknamed “Satan 2”, as well as roll out
hypersonic missiles and new nuclear submarines.
The UN General Assembly adopts a new resolution
calling for the ending of the war in Ukraine and
demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal from the
country, in line with the UN Charter.
Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (2014 - present)
95
Commons Library Research Briefing, 24 February 2023
141 Member States voted in favour and seven against
- Belarus, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, North Korea,
Russia and Syria. Among the 32 abstentions were
China, India and Pakistan.
24 February 2023
First anniversary of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.
China releases a new 12-point position paper
outlining its stance on the Ukraine conflict, mostly
reiterating Beijing’s existing standpoint on the
conflict, while portraying China as a neutral party
and urging the two sides to enter into peace
negotiations.
The House of Commons Library is a research and
information service based in the UK Parliament.
Our impartial analysis, statistical research and
resources help MPs and their staff scrutinise
legislation, develop policy, and support constituents.
Our published material is available to everyone
on commonslibrary.parliament.uk.
Get our latest research delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe at commonslibrary.parliament.uk/subscribe
or scan the code below:
commonslibrary.parliament.uk
@commonslibrary