Ukraine is a state in Eastern Europe. It has an outlet on the Black Sea to the south and is bordered by Russia to the east, Belarus to the north and with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the west.
Ukraine is a republic, the current President of the Republic is Viktor Janukovič while the Prime Minister is Mykola Azarov.
The official language is Ukrainian. Very common in the eastern regions is Russian, which is also an official language in the autonomous republic of Crimea.
NYT: Here’s why negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are considered taboo
The New York Times wonders about the international veto on negotiations between Russia and Ukraine as counteroffensive stalls.