Ukraine

American  

[yoo-kreyn, -krahyn, yoo-kreyn] / juˈkreɪn, -ˈkraɪn, ˈju kreɪn /

noun

1. a republic in southeastern Europe: rich agricultural and industrial region. 223,090 sq. mi. (603,700 sq. km). Kyiv.

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Ukraine British  

/ juːˈkreɪn /

noun

1. a republic in SE Europe, on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov: ruled by the Khazars (7th–9th centuries), by Ruik princes with the Mongol conquest in the 13th century, then by Lithuania, by Poland, and by Russia; one of the four original republics that formed the Soviet Union in 1922; unilaterally declared independence in 1990, which was recognized in 1991. Consists chiefly of lowlands; economy based on rich agriculture and mineral resources and on the major heavy industries of the Donets Basin. Official language: Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken. Religion: believers are mainly Christian. Currency: hryvna. Capital: Kiev. Pop: 44 573 205 (2013 est). Area: 603 700 sq km (231 990 sq miles)

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Ukraine Cultural  

1. Republic in southeastern Europe, bordered by Belarus to the north; Russia to the northeast and east; the Black Sea to the south; Moldova, Romania, and Hungary to the southwest; and Slovakia and Poland to the west; includes the peninsula of Crimea. Kiev is the capital and largest city.

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Usage

Is it Ukraine or the Ukraine? The official name of the country is simply Ukraine—it does not use the word "the." The use of the word the when referring to the country (once widespread but now less common) is thought to have been influenced by the period of its history when it was part of the Soviet Union. During this time, it was called the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, before gaining full independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Most Ukrainians object to the use of the before the name because it can suggest that the nation is not fully independent.

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Ukraine came under a succession of invaders and foreign rulers, including central Asian tribes, the Mongols, Lithuania, the Ottoman Empire, Poland, and finally Russia. Under oppressive Polish and Russian rule in the seventeenth century, Ukrainian fugitives, known as Cossacks, organized resistance movements.

Ukraine was traditionally home to a large Jewish population. Many Jews (see also Jews) left Ukraine under oppressive conditions in the nineteenth century, and thousands more were exterminated by the Nazis in World War II.

Of the former Soviet republics, it is second to Russia in population.

A nationalist and cultural revival in the nineteenth century was rewarded after World War I by independence, which was, however, short-lived. Invaded by Russian troops, Ukraine became one of the original Soviet republics in 1922.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Ukraine

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch refrained from attacking the outgoing PM's record, instead praising him for his work on Ukraine and his friendship with the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Two dozen other regulators, including in Canada, Australia, China, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, have cleared the Paramount deal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Plus, the scales tip in Ukraine, resistance to AI grows, and women hit “prime time” later in life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Energy is a key priority in Ukraine, with the grid having been battered by Russian attacks and power outages widespread throughout winter.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

But the beet-sugar breakthrough did have one important effect in another part of Europe: the Ukraine of Marc’s family.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson