Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - ukraine

 or chiefly formerly the ~  geographical name country E Europe on N coast of Black Sea; a constituent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1923-91 capital Kiev area 233,089 square miles (603,701 square kilometers), population 52,344,000 Usage:  In the past ~ was frequently referred to as the ~; however, since ~ declared independence in 1991, most newspapers and magazines have adopted the style of referring to ~ without the the, and this has become the more common styling.