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NATO was a collective defense treaty among eight communist states of Central and Eastern Europe in existence during the Cold War. The Warsaw Pact was the military complement to the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, the regional economic organization for the communist States of Central and Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact was in part a Soviet military reaction to the integration of west Germany
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Mikhail Gorbachev was the first president of the Soviet Union, serving from 1990 to 1991.
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1991-1992 - Civil war breaks out in Georgia. Zviad Gamsakhurdia is deposed as president.
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Ukraine declares independence following attempted coup in Moscow: 90% vote for independence in nationwide referendum in December.
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The Soviet Union was disbanded.
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May 1994 - A ceasefire is agreed upon and signed between the Georgian government and Abkhaz separatists. Russian peacekeeping forces are deployed to the area.
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Vladimir Putin 1999 to 2000 & 2008 to 2012
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At the end of the 1980s and the start of the 1990s, pro-independence sentiment grew in Ukraine and other republics of the Soviet Union. The United States pursued a policy of non-interference, fearing a repeat of what had happened in Yugoslavia, which had collapsed into civil war after Germany recognised the independence of Slovenia and Croatia. Bush looked to the Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev, to manage the process of reform and avoided giving support to nationalists in the republics.
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September 2002 - Russian President Vladimir Putin sends a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.N. Security Council members, and members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe stating that Georgia must respond to accusations they are harboring Chechen militants or face military action from Russia.
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April 3, 2008 - NATO members at a summit in Bucharest, Romania, defer the decision on Georgia and Ukraine's admittance until December 2008
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August 26, 2008 - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signs an order recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway regions in Georgia. In response, U.S. President George W. Bush releases a statement saying, "The United States condemns the decision by the Russian president to recognize as independent states the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The territorial integrity and borders of Georgia must be respected, just as those of Russia or any other count
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September 2009 - A report from an EU fact-finding mission determines that the 2008 conflict was caused by Georgia's illegal attack on the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali on August 7-8.
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2014 March - Russian forces seize and then annex Crimea, prompting biggest East-West showdown since Cold War. US and European Union begtin process of imposing ever-harsher sanctions on Russia
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2014 July - A Malaysian airliner comes down in separatist-held territory, killing all 298 people on board, with all evidence suggesting that it was shot down.
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2014 August - Russia sends first of several unauthorised convoys allegedly carying aid to Donestsk and Luhansk. Nato says Russian forces are directly involved in military operations inside Ukraine
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2014 September - November - Cease-fire repeatedly violated before breaking down completely. Nato confirms Russian troops and heavy military equipment entering eastern Ukraine.
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By Christmas 1991, the Soviet Union had crumbled. Gorbachev inevitably stepped down from his position as president of the Soviet Union, handing over complete power to Yeltsin.
