Russia Looms Over Ukraine's Independence Celebrations

Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.

Today marks 25 years since Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But independence has not halted Russia's efforts to hold sway over Ukraine, which has 45 million people.

Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, and pro-Russian separatists have been fighting a war against the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine for two years.

So what does the future hold for Ukraine? Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti speaks with the BBC's Tom Burridge.

Tom Burridge, BBC correspondent in Kiev. He tweets @tomburridgebbc.