ウクライナ史とロシアのウクライナ侵攻（中編）〜国際情勢リテラシー&英語長文聴解

〈英文スクリプト〉 The History of Ukraine and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Ukraine’s Independence and the Soviet Era: Shaping National Identity In the 20th century, historical events created new opportunities and challenges for Ukraine. The Russian Revolution at the end of World War I offered Ukraine an opportunity for independence, and in 1918, it declared itself the Ukrainian People's Republic. However, after a period of chaos involving interventions by the Russian Bolshevik regime and Poland, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was established in 1922 and became part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR. This short period of independence serves as a basis for the belief that Ukraine's independence was never entirely lost during the subsequent Soviet era. During the Soviet era, Ukraine experienced a devastating famine known as the "Holodomor" in the 1930s. This is believed to have been caused by the Soviet government's agricultural collectivization policies and food requisitions, resulting in the deaths of many Ukrainians.During World War II, Ukraine became a battlefield for intense fighting between Germany and the Soviet Union, suffering immense damage and many casualties. This highlighted Ukraine's geopolitical fate as a "buffer zone" caught between major powers in the East and West. Even after World War II, Ukraine remained part of the Soviet Union. However, with the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Ukraine declared its independence. This independence, however, brought a new challenge: the emergence of pro-Russian and pro-Western factions within the country. Initially, Ukraine inherited a portion of the vast Soviet military and the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal, after the United States and Russia. However, in 1994, Ukraine acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, abandoning its nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances and economic aid. This nuclear disarmament was expected to guarantee security from countries like Russia. Yet, Russia's invasion starting in 2014 showed the fragility of that promise.