Ukraine, the largest country in Europe in terms of area with 44 million inhabitants, has faced major challenges since its independence in 1991. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2014, flared up again in the spring of 2022. Russia has massively deployed troops to the Ukrainian border and has sent almost 150,000 soldiers to Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin abandoned diplomatic efforts, recognized separatist areas and launched a military offensive, leading to a deterioration in Russian-Western relations.