On 21 August 1991, the Supreme Council of Latvia adopted a constitutional act on Latvia's status as an independent state. Three days later, on 24 August 1991, Ukraine also declared its independence. At that time, Ukraine, with its 54 million inhabitants, ranked second among the former Soviet republics in terms of both population and economic potential. Today, a little more than three decades later, Latvia is an independent member state of NATO and the European Union, while Ukrainians are fighting a life-or-death struggle against the Russian invasion. To understand what has led to the greatest political catastrophe of the 21st century, it is necessary to go back thirty years into the past.

1 December 1991. A referendum is held in Ukraine on the legitimacy of the 24 August Declaration of Independence. In the referendum, 92% of voters express their support for Ukrainian independence. Leonid Kravchuk, the last Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR, is elected as the first President of Ukraine.

10 January 1994. NATO establishes the 'Partnership for Peace' programme, which aims to strengthen trust between NATO and former USSR countries. Ukraine joins the programme on 8 February, and Russia on 22 June. NATO continued military cooperation with Eastern European partner countries until 2014.