The recent events in Central Asia have been front page of many news publications. One of the most publicized international relations issues has been the growing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Much of the tension between the two countries more recently began when the Ukraine government turned away from a EU trade deal, becoming more inlined with Vladimir Putin and Russia. In turn, many Ukrainian citizens took to the streets to protest against this decision. Such sustained efforts led to the fall of the government, ushering in a new regime. However, upset with these latest developments, Russia declared that the Crimea has a right to self-determination (and essentially, expected the area to fall under Russia’s sphere of influence). Currently, separatist movements are continuing to fight the Ukrainian government forces in Eastern Ukraine. Many suspect that Putin is at least tacitly supportive of the guerrilla forces.