Upheaval started with rejection of EU agreement
The sanctions, and the events that preceded their imposition, reflect the tug of war between East and West over the future of Ukraine -- and the divisions within the country as well, between ethnic Russians and Ukrainian speakers who want closer ties with the European Union.
The turmoil began in earnest when President Viktor Yanukovych, a Russian speaker, decided not to sign an agreement for closer ties with the EU, as he had planned. Instead, he opted for closer ties with Russia.