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What happened next?Continue in this file · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline
File · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline

Moscow and Kyiv sign a treaty recognising their borders

On 31 May 1997, Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kuchma sign the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Russia and Ukraine in Kyiv.

Article 2 affirms mutual respect for territorial integrity and the inviolability of existing borders. The two countries jointly transmit the document to the United Nations.

This commitment provides a documentary reference for understanding subsequent territorial disputes. Signature is distinct from the treaty’s entry into force.

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What happened before?Continue in this file · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline