▁as ▁the ▁Russia – U k raine ▁gas ▁disput es , ▁the ▁economic ▁conflicts ▁affected ▁other ▁European ▁countries , ▁for ▁example ▁when ▁a ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁gas ▁dispute ▁with ▁Ukraine ▁led ▁state - control led ▁Russian ▁company ▁Gaz prom ▁to ▁halt ▁its ▁deliver ies ▁of ▁natural ▁gas ▁to ▁Ukraine , ▁which ▁left ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁European ▁states , ▁to ▁which ▁Ukraine ▁trans its ▁Russian ▁gas , ▁with ▁serious ▁short ages ▁of ▁natural ▁gas ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁plans ▁of ▁Georgia ▁and ▁Ukraine ▁to ▁become ▁members ▁of ▁NAT O ▁have ▁caused ▁some ▁t ensions ▁between ▁Russia ▁and ▁those ▁states . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Ukraine ▁did ▁abandon ▁these ▁plans . ▁Put in ▁alleg edly ▁declared ▁at ▁a ▁NAT O - Russ ia ▁sum mit ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁that ▁if ▁Ukraine ▁joined ▁NAT O ▁Russia ▁could ▁cont end ▁to ▁an nex ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁East ▁and ▁Crime a . ▁At ▁the ▁sum mit , ▁he ▁told ▁US ▁President ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁that ▁" U k raine ▁is ▁not ▁even ▁a ▁state !" ▁while ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁Put in ▁referred ▁to ▁Ukraine ▁as ▁" L ittle ▁Russia ". ▁Following ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁Ukrain ian ▁revolution ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Russian ▁Federation ▁an nex ed ▁Crime a . ▁According ▁to ▁Put in , ▁this ▁was ▁done ▁because ▁" Cr ime a ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁and ▁remains ▁an ▁in separ able ▁part ▁of ▁Russia