During Viktor Yanukovych's presidency, he faced accusations of imposing stricter press restrictions and making parliamentary attempts to curtail freedom of assembly. His past included convictions for theft, looting, and vandalism in his youth, with sentences that were eventually doubled. A key point of criticism was the arrest of Yulia Tymoshenko in August 2011, along with other political adversaries facing criminal investigations, signaling alleged efforts by Yanukovych to consolidate power. Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in October 2011 for abuse of office related to a 2009 gas deal with Russia, a move condemned by the European Union and other entities as politically motivated.

In November 2013, Yanukovych's decision not to sign the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement, opting instead for closer relations with Russia, ignited widespread protests. Demonstrators occupied Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv, escalating to the seizure of government buildings and violent clashes with police, resulting in approximately eighty deaths in February 2014.

The violent crackdown led to a shift in parliamentary support away from Yanukovych, culminating in his removal from office on February 22, 2014, and the release of Tymoshenko from prison. Following these events, Yanukovych fled Kyiv, and Oleksandr Turchynov, a Tymoshenko ally, was appointed interim president, marking a significant turn in Ukraine's political landscape.