Ukraine is the largest country wholly situated in Europe with
approximately 600,000 square kilometres and a population of about
45 million. However, it is still largely considered terra
incognita for foreign investors. The country has experienced
several political crises since it gained independence from the USSR
in 1991. The most recent crisis was initially caused by the refusal
of the then Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych to sign the
Association Agreement with the EU in November 2013. Since then the
country has experienced considerable civil unrest, which caused the
regime change in February 2014, led to foreign interference in the
Crimea and gave rise to separatism movements in the eastern
Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. This social upheaval
continues to produce substantial negative effects on the
country's economy.
